


Relatives with Benefits

by Kashyurio, Unanee



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Adopted Lavi, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Character Development, Comedy, Drama, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Incest, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Pining, Previous bad relationship, Pseudo-Incest, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2018-09-07
Packaged: 2018-11-16 07:04:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 57,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11248761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kashyurio/pseuds/Kashyurio, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unanee/pseuds/Unanee
Summary: Tyki used to hate Sheril‘s adopted kid, refusing to acknowledge him as a part of the family. Now that Tyki has returned home after studying abroad for seven years and Lavi's grown into adulthood, he has a whole new respect for him. But to Tyki's horror, what he begins to feel for Lavi isn't something an uncle is supposed to feel for his nephew.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This fic started from a joke "what if Sheril had adopted Lavi" and grew into a complicated and questionable story. Hope someone else finds it as interesting as we apparently did.  
> ~Una
> 
> I am sorry. I was sorry the moment I came into this world.  
> ~Kash
> 
> We also want to express our deepest gratitude to [KittyBandit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyBandit) who has supported us and helped with the language neither of us is native in. She is the best, and if you haven't already checked her stories you better do it asap.

_ The clock is ticking. He is having trouble falling asleep. _

_ There was something he did today. Something that made his brother sad. He doesn’t remember what it was, nor does he feel guilty. He doesn’t think he can feel like a human anymore. _

_ A woman’s touch is gentle. She holds his better hand and pets his sweat-covered hair. He wonders why she isn’t disgusted or sad like his brother. _

_ “Tyki, things cannot continue like this,” she says with a kind but firm voice. “You have to pull yourself together. You are going to be an uncle soon—your nephew is going to need you.” _

 

\-------s-e-v-e-r-a-l---y-e-a-r-s---l-a-t-e-r-------

 

The roar of engines could be heard overhead as the planes landed and took off. A loud female announcer repeated information in several languages before moving on to the next announcement. People skittered about in every direction, trying to make it to their assigned flights. In the middle of the daily chaos and ever-changing status of the flights, one of the finer airplanes arrived a moment ago.

Tyki Mikk rested his tall body against an isolated wall, tapping his foot against the ground nervously. He brought his silver watch into his line of his vision and sighed. He slipped a hand into his coat pocket and pulled out a fresh cigarette, sticking it to his mouth with haste. At least he had time for one smoke—if only he could find his lighter.

“Now, where did I put that damn thing?” Tyki muttered as he tapped his pockets aggressively. Unable to find the lighter, he realized that he must have left it on one of the tables in the smoking area before boarding his flight. His nose wrinkled and the corners of his mouth turned down. Great. He had been looking forward to this smoke for hours. The flight had been long enough, and Tyki was sure the ride home was going to feel even lengthier.

Tyki sighed again, more deeply. He ran his hand through his long, curled bangs and shoved the unused cigarette back into its box. The air was too hot and dry, and the sweat was forming on his skin irritatingly. With no way to relax his nerves, Tyki bit into his lower lip as he thought about the upcoming ride. Any moment now, a certain hugging monster was going to pop out of nowhere and crush his ribs.

Tyki loved his big brother, there was no doubt about that. But the longer they were separated, the harder it became to scrape Sheril’s hands off him. Sheril had insisted on coming to pick Tyki up himself, and trying to convince him otherwise would have been futile. Ignoring him was also not an option: Sheril would just freak out and do something over-the-top and stupid, like summon an army to help him hunt Tyki down. He was famous for being overly affectionate and protective over his little family.

A small smile crept on Tyki’s face, and he shook his head in amusement. He couldn’t deny that he had missed this:  _ his _ own family and the city he had grown up in.

Just as he was getting into a better mood, a high-pitched voice snapped him out of it, “Oh my, just look at how handsome you are!” Tyki barely had time to turn around before the familiar, long arms wrapped around him. He was squeezed into a tight, suffocating hug and swung from side to side, as if he was the favourite toy of some big, excited dog.

“It’s good to see you too, Sheril,” Tyki managed to whine in between desperate breaths. He was sure that he was going to faint if the bear-hug wouldn’t loosen anytime soon, and with Sheril you could never be certain. Just as Tyki’s lungs were about to sign themselves out, Sheril let out a pleased hum and set him down. Before Tyki could steady himself and take a proper breath, Sheril slapped both hands over his cheeks.

“It’s been forever since I last saw you,” Sheril sniffed and squeezed Tyki’s cheeks between his fingers. He slid his hands down and pat Tyki’s finely-shaped jaw while taking in his looks. “And look at that magnificent hair—it’s about the same length as mine!” Sheril said, fiddling with Tyki’s long, black strands.

Tyki slapped Sheril’s hands off and gave him a warning glare. “Quit it, Sheril! People are staring!” he said, rubbing his hurting face to get rid of the sting still lingering over it. “Not here,  _ please _ .” 

He didn’t understand how anyone this impulsive had managed to become a minister of a country.

Sheril shrugged Tyki’s annoyance off with a cheerful laugh before moving to help with the luggage. “Is this all you’ve brought back with you?” he asked as he lifted a semi-large bag off the ground. “Not a lot, considering you were gone for years.”

Tyki hummed as he moved to grab the second suitcase. “Figured I could just buy new clothes here. Didn’t exactly plan on dragging five suitcases with me, too much hassle getting them through all those checks.”

Sheril nodded thoughtfully before making a small gesture with his head towards the parking-lot. “Well, I suppose you don’t want to keep standing and chit-chatting here. Let’s get going, shall we?” he said , waiting for Tyki to nod before leading him out of the building.

They found Sheril’s black BWM easily in a reserved parking spot and loaded it with Tyki’s belongings. They hopped inside, put on their seat belts, and started the engine. Sheril made sure that Tyki was comfortable before pulling the car out of the parking space and taking off. They made it out of the area before the biggest rush hit in and moved to the highway.

Tyki was eyeing the car driving in front of them when Sheril started a conversation. “Did you have a pleasant flight?” he asked, more relaxed now  that the traffic eased up.

“Well,” Tyki said, resting  his arm over the window, “Quite noisy. So many babies and children, and they all cried in chorus.” It had been nerve-wracking, even when Tyki had been sitting in a business class—some things you just couldn’t buy with money. “An elderly lady sitting next to me showed me pictures of her daughter. She wouldn’t leave me alone,” he said in a dreadful voice. “Well, not until I promised to call her daughter. Which I won’t do. Probably.” He frowned and didn’t bother taking a look at his brother, who he knew was probably grinning like a fool. Sheril was a little too proud of all the attention that he received wherever he went.

“Well, I do hope you managed to get some rest—because we have company later tonight,” Sheril said with an excited tone that Tyki thought he knew a little too well. The words registered in Tyki’s mind, and he felt like a stone had been dropped on him.

He really hoped this wasn’t what he thought it was. He was tired, and sore, and grumpy. He didn’t want to do anything besides get used to his old room and house, and catch up with his family.

But. It wasn’t like Sheril needed much of a reason to…

Tyki hoped that he was just overthinking this. “What kind of company?” he asked, a small hiss finding its way into his voice.

Sheril gave him an overly happy grin before answering, “A  welcome back party, of course!” and Tyki felt like he had been punched into a gut.

Sheril didn’t give him time to start complaining. “You didn’t think I’d ignore the return of my precious little brother, did you? You know how excited I am to get you back into the mansion! It has felt so empty ever since you moved abroad to study!” He stopped the car as the traffic light flashed red and turned to eye Tyki shamelessly. “And wow, we’ll have a real doctor living among us now!” he exclaimed proudly. “People have been asking about your graduation for ages! Everyone is so eager to get a real surgeon in their circle of acquaintances: you are a hot topic around here, dear brother.”

“I’m not even graduating yet, just starting my residency program here,” Tyki muttered. It was still at least three years before he would become a proper surgeon. Tyki almost wanted to push the car door open and jump out; popping out at Momo or Clark’s doorstep would give him a less headache than one of Sheril’s parties full of people who all wanted something from him. It was a pain, and he was not looking forward to being pulled into all those painfully boring conversations started by Sheril’s self-absorbed acquaintances. Not to mention those women who were looking to improve their social status.

“Road is pretty excited about the party too,” Sheril said as the lights turned to green, and he continued driving. “You have no idea how much she has been missing you.”

Tyki pulled his chin out of his hand and his grumpy posture straightened. It had been a year since he had last seen Road. She and Sheril had usually visited him during Christmas and some other holidays, but lately Road had been making plans with her own friends. She was growing up and turning 14 next summer. Tyki wondered if she was much different in person compared to those mountains of photos that had been sent to him by none other than Sheril.

Tyki felt a little better knowing that he had some enjoyable company waiting for him. His niece had a powerful personality, and she was either your best friend or your worst enemy. To Tyki’s relief, he got along with Road just fine and didn’t mind spending time with her. She was his little girl as much as she was Sheril’s.

“Oh, and this time Lavi will be there, too!” Sheril exclaimed, making Tyki halt in his seat. “You haven’t seen each other in years, have you?” Tyki’s eyes widened just slightly, and he snapped his gaze back to Sheril’s direction, not sure if he had heard correctly.

Lavi?

It had been years indeed. Tyki had, in fact, almost forgotten about that boy.

“Is he still living with you?” Tyki asked and leaned back against the seat, not letting the surprise take over his voice.

Sheril gave him a sharp look before returning his eyes to the road. “Yes, he still lives with us. In fact, he attends the Black Order university now. The best of his class as always.” Tyki remembered the Black Order university: it was one of the country’s most appreciated schools and located in the same city as his and Sheril’s mansion. Sheril had attended and graduated from it in his younger years, hoping that Tyki would follow his example. That didn’t happen. Still, Tyki could detect the same old adoration from Sheril’s voice that appeared whenever Sheril was talking about that boy, Lavi.

With a roll of his eyes, Tyki once again turned his gaze to the window. “Yeah… I guess it really has been a while.” He wasn’t going to start an argument now, the immediate dread of the party still occupying most of his mind. He didn’t want to think about that boy either. 

It was late in the autumn, and even the busy highway was covered with fallen leaves from surrounding trees. The leftovers of the summer were still around, but the plants had already been coloured with reds and browns, replacing the green on the view. The sun was at its highest at the horizon, spraying pure light on the car’s glass and metallic surfaces, trying to warm up the coldening atmosphere inside of it.

The silence that filled the car was the longest the two brothers had had since reuniting at the airport.

Sheril kept his eyes on the road while Tyki glaced at the car’s side, watching the passing vehicles. He was too afraid to speed up, fearing that it might spark negative emotions on Tyki’s end. Even if Sheril was the older of them and very close to his younger brother, there were moments when he wished he could read Tyki’s thoughts.

He almost regretted bringing up his son right of the bat. It was still Tyki’s day, and Sheril wanted nothing but to make his brother’s arrival as happy event as possible. Still, he couldn’t just be quiet about the issue of Lavi.

It took a few good minutes before Sheril finally opened his mouth again. “He has grown into a fine young man. I’m sure you’ll find his company better this time.” He took careful peeks at his little brother with the corner of his eye, watching for his reaction. When Tyki remained passive, Sheril dared to continue. “Do you think you could try? For your older brother’s sake, if nothing else?” He wiggled his eyebrows and forced a small smile in his face, but couldn’t keep the slight worry away from his eyes.

Tyki was a proper adult now. It shouldn’t be too much to ask this from him.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say,” Tyki sighed and waved his hand lazily in the air. “Do you have a lighter here? I swear if I don’t have a smoke I’ll—“

Sheril cut him off immediately. “No! I can’t believe that you are still smoking those toxins!” he said, almost screaming. Urgh! He couldn’t believe this! Smoking was disgusting—no matter how much he tried to educate his brother about its dangers, Tyki never seemed to take the advice. He simply continued polluting that beautiful body of his all too willingly. And he was supposed to be the doctor here! “And, no! You cannot smoke here in the car! Didn’t they put any sense in you at that school of yours?” Sheril shouted and turned his head in Tyki’s direction, wanting to continue scolding him, but noticed the uneasiness in his brother’s appearance.

Tyki’s posture was stiff, and he was still looking outside of the window. He was avoiding Sheril’s gaze and tapping his fingers against his leg nervously,  unconscious of the action.

Sheril forced his mouth shut and held back the words on the tip of his tongue. He didn’t want to start a new phase of their lives like this. Tyki was supposed to come home—it was supposed to be a relaxing environment, not another cage.

Sheril batted his eyes as he held in a sigh. He knew that Tyki had grown and matured while studying abroad. He knew his little brother was way better than when he had left. Still, he couldn’t help but be a little worried.

How he wished that this time would be different—for all of them.

 

\------------------------------------

 

A combination of music, speech, and laughter could be heard from inside the mansion. Outside of the party area, in the small balcony over the building’s front yard, Tyki rested his chin on his palm and leaned against the sturdy railing. He breathed out a cloud of smoke and watched it twirling above his head before it dissolved in the air against the darkening sky.

Sadly, there was no way he could not attend his own party.

As soon as they had arrived, Sheril had ushered Tyki into a quick shower and pulled out one of his finer suits for him to change into. Not long after that the first set of guests had appeared, signaling the start of Tyki’s suffering.

At least Road was there as promised. She had found Tyki surrounded by a herd of nosy people and jumped into his arms without hesitation, shrieking his name in excitement. She had rescued Tyki from the unwelcome attention by pulling him to the side, and she had promised to have a proper chat with him once she had greeted all of her own guests. Tyki barely had time to have a look at her before she had disappeared back into the mass of people.

Tyki peered down at the front garden, taking another long drag from his cigarette before grinning to himself. He was happy that he could be able to spend more time with his niece from now on; he had missed that little rascal more than he had thought.

The same couldn’t be said about his nephew.

Lavi was still nowhere to be seen. Sheril had said something about a long school day but insisted that the boy would make it to the party—a fact that Tyki felt rather indifferent about.

Tyki fiddled with his cigarette for a moment before putting the smoke out and throwing the butt in the large fountain under the balcony. He knew Sheril would throw a fit, but he couldn’t care less—just like he had never really cared about that adoptive son of his brother’s. To be honest, Tyki hadn’t even remembered his nephew until Sheril had mentioned Lavi’s name again. Whenever Sheril and Road had visited Tyki during his time abroad, Lavi hadn’t joined them. And if Tyki himself had managed to travel home during his short school breaks, Lavi had always been somewhere else. Last time Tyki had really seen him, Lavi had still been pretty much a kid—and Tyki had preferred not to pay him too much attention.

A few strands of hair had escaped from Tyki’s ponytail, and Tyki brushed them behind his ear in irritation. Strangely, he no longer felt a similar anger bubble in him at the mention of his nephew’s name. He didn’t look forward to seeing the kid, and he wouldn’t have minded if Lavi never appeared again—but instead of cringing, he simply shrugged his shoulders. He knew Sheril expected him to keep amicable manner between himself and Lavi, and, no matter how much Tyki hated his brother’s manipulation, it didn’t sound like too much of a bother.

Tyki supposed that he could live with Lavi sneaking around the house again. He would never become the kid’s best friend, or a proper uncle, but he could try and keep it civil between them. After all, it had been years...

A loud chatter from the street cut Tyki’s train of thoughts. A group of teenagers were standing outside of the main gate and talking vocally. Tyki raised his head and lowered the hand under his chin; it was rare to see teens around this part of the city. The mansion was located in one of the finest districts, and not many families allowed their pedigree offspring to roam around at such a late hour.

There were four teenagers in total, three boys and a girl. They were a rather odd bunch: their clothes looked too neat for common hooligans, but not neat enough for them to be Sheril’s guests. Tyki wondered why they had stopped in front of the mansion’s gate and let his eyes trail over the group, taking in each member’s features. The girl was definitely Asian, as well as one of the guys standing beside her. Opposite of them was a younger-looking boy with the most bizarre, ghost white hair that Tyki had ever seen. The boy was talking to the fourth member of the group, the one whose face Tyki couldn’t see because they were standing back towards the mansion—but their vivid, bright red hair caught his interest.

Tyki squinted his eyes and examined the fourth member, likely a guy. The teen was noticeably taller than his companions, and he seemed to be wearing a fitted, more proper clothing—a suit, perhaps. Maybe he was a guest after all, and his friends had simply walked him to his destination. His red hair was long and slicked back so that the strands were piling over his back of the neck; they were curling up slightly, resisting the attempted control.

Instinctively, Tyki pulled out another cigarette and brought it to his lips. He lighted it and watched the group more curiously. Despite the party noises, the street was awfully quiet at this time of the evening, and it was easy for Tyki to hear what the teenagers were saying.

“Allen! Please! My head is already enough of a mess,” the redhead whined when the white-haired boy tried ruffling his hair. His voice had a slight nasal in it, and he had a rather peculiar way of lengthening the vocals in his speech. He was leaning backwards and raising his hands into a barricade so that his companion wouldn’t be able to ruin his hairstyle.

The white-haired boy, Allen, drew back his hands and laughed empathetically. “I’m sure everything will be alright. Try to not give in to those old demons,” he said and patted the taller teen on the shoulder in a comforting manner.

“Allen is right, you know,” the girl said and clapped her hands together cheerfully. “Try to think more positively! If it’s totally unbearable, you can always excuse yourself early.”

The redhead snorted loudly and rocked on the balls of his feet. After a moment, he stopped and looked at the ground, shoulders slumped in defeat. “I probably have to go in. I’m already running late as it is,” he said with a sigh. He turned around and stepped through the gate, waving to his friends and saying goodbye as he started walking towards the mansion.

Tyki sucked his cigarette and drummed his fingers against the railing, peering over in order to finally see the redhead’s face. He almost let out a whistle as something that looked like a thin, finely-shaped jaw and cheeks was revealed from the other side of that raging autumn hair. The nose on that face lookedw long and a little pointy, and Tyki could pick up a healthy flush from that normally pale skin. The one, visible eye was bright and contrasted strongly against all those reddish colours—but the other one was hidden behind a pitch-black eyepatch, reminding Tyki of a Mafioso that he had encountered during his study years.

Tyki smirked and crossed his hands under his jaw. He definitely had to take a better look at this guy once—

“Later, Lavi!”

The cigarette fell from Tyki’s mouth. It dropped on the floor and continued burning, but Tyki made no move to put it out. None of his muscles worked properly.

After saying their goodbyes, the teenagers still at the gate started leaving. The redhead was nearing the mansion with a quick pace, almost hopping in his steps, his limbs long and lean. Tyki couldn’t do anything but stare at him, mouth hanging agape.

A pair or arms grabbed Tyki’s waist, waking him up. Tyki stiffened and almost let out a hiss before he realized who those arms belonged to. He looked over his shoulder to see the dark, fuzzy-haired head belonging to his niece.

Road grinned at him and said, “Gotcha!” She unwrapped her arms and glanced at the cigarette still burning on the floor. She giggled before stomping on it with her large ballerina shoes. “Dad said you might be smoking these ‘disgusting cancer sticks’ out here,” she said before hopping next to Tyki, wanting to see what had caught her uncle’s attention.

To Tyki’s horror, she grabbed the edge of the railing and lifted herself up. Her short legs kicked in the air as her body leaned forward. Without thinking, Tyki grabbed her shoulders so that she wouldn’t accidentally slip over the railing. “Road, stop!” he shouted and pulled her back to the safer side. “You shouldn’t do things like that,” he said, gaining a disapproving frown from Road.

His niece was a bit too fearless when it came to certain things. That hadn’t seemed to changed during the years, unlike Road’s appearance. Road was still to the shorter side, but she had grown much more than Tyki could have imagined based from all those pictures. She was starting to look like a small lady instead of a child.

“You are wearing a dress…” Tyki said as he took in Road’s clothing more properly. Of course, Road loved dresses and skirts, and she could rarely be seen without one—but this piece was a bit more revealing. The dress’ pristine white colour contrasted against Road’s dark skin, bringing out the seam-areas. It was short and puffed up like a flower, and it had a deep cut over her cleavage. The bolero over her shoulders and arms barely covered anything, looking like it was made of one, single ribbon. She looked lovely—but Tyki wasn’t sure if Sheril had approved her choice of clothes. “…you should watch out when leaning over.” The possibility of perverts peeking at her niece’s underwear creeped him up.

Tyki wasn’t sure if he was totally comfortable with seeing her like this: at the border of being a child and grown-up. To him, she would always be this little bundle that needed looking after, and he felt protective over her.

Road stared at him with critical eyes before bursting into another laugh. “You think I grew?” she said and peeked over the railing again, this time with both feet safely on the ground.

Tyki had just enough time to mimic her to get a one more look at the redhead. The teen was brushing a hand over that red mane, trying to get a few rebellious strands of hair back in control, before disappearing under the canopy shielding the main door. Tyki felt his facial muscles dreading their limits as the previous shock returned.

“Lavi seems to be finally back,” Road said as she took in her uncle’s amusing reaction. A cat-like grin crept over her face, and she gave a quick glance at the fallen cigarette butt. “I suppose this is the first time you’ve see him in seven years, huh?”

Tyki shifted his gaze momentarily on Road before turning to look down at the yard once more. It was now empty and looked darker than a moment before. Tyki let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Yes,” he answered with a thoughtful voice.

He…. certainly hadn’t remembered Lavi like this.

Needless to say, Tyki was surprised. He knew perfectly well that a person could change a lot in a few years—especially if the said person had still been a kid when they were last seen. He just hadn’t expected a change like this from Lavi.

He hadn’t really expected anything from Lavi.

Tyki felt a tap on his arm, and he heard Road talking. “I know you and him didn’t get along too well in the past. But, could you perhaps try to be a little nicer to him from now on?” The small fingers dug into the fabric of Tyki’s coat as Road added, “He is my big brother, after all. Give him a chance.” From the slight change in her tone, Tyki guessed the she was most likely frowning while waiting for a satisfactory answer. She was used to getting what she wanted.

A big brother? Oh yeah, right! Lavi was Road’s adopted sibling.

Sheril spoiled this daughter of his to no end. But in that regard, Tyki wasn’t much better. Tyki turned around and smirked. He raised his hand and ruffled Road’s hair from side to side affectionately. “I promise to try to behave,” he said and laughed at Road’s surprise.

“Quit it! I had this hair done just for today!” Road shouted and tried to push Tyki’s hand away. She pouted and crossed her arms, but even then Tyki could pick up the underlying amusement behind her gestures. The princess had been pleased.

Not giving Tyki enough time to light up yet another cigarette, Road wrapped her arm around his and grinned. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go to meet your nephew!” Before Tyki could come up with plausible excuse, Road started pulling him away from the porch.

Road led Tyki through the mass of guests to the bottom floor where the party was in a full bloom. She was walking forward with quick and determined steps and tugging hard at Tyki’s sleeve, forcing him to follow. Her hold was strong, and Tyki suspected he wouldn’t be able to pull himself free even if he tried. He groaned exaggeratedly while watching his own steps, trying to make sure he wouldn’t stumble on the slippery marble floor.

Wasn’t this just great? The one thing he was actually looking forward to from this stupid party had turned out to be a mocking joke.

“Road, please! You are wrinkling my suit! The last thing I want to hear right now is your dad’s complaints about how savage I look!” Tyki complained loudly. Road didn’t pay his words any attention, just continued to lead him towards their destination.

Tyki was about to tell her to knock it off, when their movement came to a sudden halt and Sheril’s voice entered his ears again. Road let out an excited laugh and finally released Tyki from her iron grip. Tyki’s hands instinctively slid through the miserable looking sleeve a few times, trying to smooth it down. He then heard the same, slightly nasal voice he had heard on the yard and he forgot his clothing for a moment.

“It was an okay day, a little longer than the usual. We were assigned some new books and essays, and another dreadful group project. Those will be time-consuming and determinate our grade for this semester...” A grown-up Lavi was standing in front of Sheril, chattering to him. Lavi’s tall body rested against the wall, his well-built shoulders a little slumped and a leg swinging mere inches upon the floor. It was a proper but relaxed posture, and his dark green suit didn’t have a wrinkle on it. He was looking at the floor calmly, waiting for his adoptive father to reply.

“I am certain you have nothing to fear for, Bunny,” Sheril said reassuringly and squeezed Lavi’s shoulder, shaking the redhead gently. Lavi raised his gaze, and a slight smile appeared on his face. His eye was bright green.

Road left Tyki’s side and hopped ahead to stand by her father. She raised her arms and exclaimed, “I have found him! He was killing his lungs on the porch!”

Tyki shrugged off the nasty look that Sheril threw at him. He paid more attention to how Lavi’s gaze turned to him swiftly before returning to the floor. There was a slight change in the atmosphere, and Tyki could feel the uneasiness settling in everyone. Tyki too tried to avoid looking at Lavi’s direction, but he found the task rather difficult.

The silence was cut by Sheril who cleared his throat loudly. “So… Tyki,” he said and gave Tyki an encouraging smile. “You haven’t spoken or seen Lavi for seven years now. Why don’t you say hello to your nephew and get this difficult part over with?” He was watching Tyki intently, almost pleadingly. Road too was giving Tyki an ordering look, as well.

Tyki held in a sigh and slowly approached Lavi. He took small, careful steps until he stood in front of his nephew. He raised his gaze and offered his hand for a shake. He didn’t really know what he was supposed to do or say, but this was a good start, wasn’t it?

Lavi seemingly tensed before relaxing forcefully. He did not yet move to shake Tyki’s hand, and Tyki used the moment to observe him and take in some of the changes that had occurred during the years.

This wasn’t how he remembered his nephew at all. His mind put together an image of an ill-looking boy with a dull, dirty hair and pale, almost grey skin. The young man in front of him had a healthy glow to his slightly tanned skin, and few freckles were scattered here and there upon his nose and cheeks—which looked even better than Tyki had thought from the balcony. Lavi’s hair was a vivid shade of orange and fairly long, and the contrast to what it had once been was enormous.

The eye-patch was also new. Tyki remembered that the kid had had some problem with one of his eyes, but he hadn’t really paid attention to it… he just remembered the bandage that had covered the same side of Lavi’s face. The lone, green eye stared at him with mixture of something that Tyki couldn’t quite figure out—but it wasn’t positive.

Tyki couldn’t really pretend that he didn’t deserve that look. But whatever he had felt towards his nephew in the past, had been dimmed by the years he had spent abroad. Whatever doubts he had had when talking to Sheril and Road today were slowly disappearing now that he was able to see Lavi standing before him.

When Lavi still hadn’t made a move to shake Tyki’s hand, it was Tyki’s turn to clear his throat. “It’s good to see you again, Lavi,” He said in a clear voice ,without any a hint of malice. Lavi blinked and perked up. His mouth formed a thin line before a tight smile appeared on his face. The look in his eye didn’t change. Lavi grabbed Tyki’s hand and returned the deliberate handshake, but didn’t hold the grip for any longer than necessarily. He must have known that Sheril wanted them to get along, too—otherwise he wouldn’t try to fake it.

“It’s good to see you too,” Lavi said in a polite tone. The group once again fell into a silence, but Sheril didn’t let it linger for long.

He threw an arm over his adoptive son’s shoulder and said with his usual cheerfulness, “Lavi dear, how about you show Tyki the renovated garden? I’m sure he’d like that!” Both Lavi and Tyki turned to stare at him with wide eyes. Tyki was about to protest, but Sheril continued talking before anyone else could get a word in. “We have added many plants, statues, and decorations since your last visit, Tyki-pon. A little stroll is just a right thing to give you two some time to catch up!” He smiled at Tyki and Lavi, refusing to acknowledge the sudden dreadfulness that had fallen over them.

Tyki mentally cursed his brother for trying to setup something like this right from the start, wishing his gaze could actually stab daggers at Sheril. Sheril put a hand on Road’s shoulder, and Tyki saw that his niece was looking at him and Lavi sympathetically but expectedly: she also wanted them to go along with this ridiculous idea. Was it amusing to her? Well, Tyki knew for sure that Lavi was just as thrilled about the garden stroll as him.

“No problem, dad.” Tyki heard a small voice from beside him and turned his head towards the source. Lavi was just smiling politely at Sheril. He definitely didn’t want to do this any more than Tyki did, but was he not going to attempt to protest at all?

Now that Tyki thought of it, he didn’t think he’d ever heard the boy say “no” to his brother.

Sheril’s eyes sparkled and he shrieked from happiness. “That’s fantastic!” He then turned Road around and gave Tyki and Lavi a wink. “Me and Road still have some guests to greet. I suppose we will see you two back after a while.” As he led his daughter away, Road looked back over her shoulder and gave the two men a thumbs-up.

Tyki and Lavi were left with an awkward silence gnawing at them. Neither of them were willing to talk first. Tyki pulled at his collar and rolled his eyes in frustration: how could Sheril just leave them by themselves? Trying to make up something to say to his nephew, Tyki opened up his mouth. To his surprise, he heard an audible sigh from Lavi. Tyki arched his eyebrow as Lavi straightened his posture, looking at Tyki with a new kind of light in that sole green eye.

“We better start going,” Lavi said with a firm voice and started walking towards the main door, not waiting for Tyki’s reply. Tyki blinked and nodded quickly, if only by himself because Lavi wasn’t looking at him anymore. He hurried after his nephew, making a mental note to replace his brother’s shampoo with a dishwasher’s soap for forcing this moment on him.

On the other hand, he did hear a satisfying “ _ Road, what in the earth are you wearing” _ scream from behind.

Tyki followed Lavi to the yard quietly. Lavi’s pace was fast, and Tyki kept a few steps away, not sure if he should approach his nephew. One part of him wanted to spurt forward and walk next to Lavi but another held back. He had very mixed feelings about the encounter.

Tyki no longer felt any hostility towards Lavi, not at all. While that didn’t really puzzle him, something else did: even if Tyki’s anger had calmed down during the years, he had been sure that he would have felt at least indifferent, if not nonchalant, about his nephew. But he didn’t really. 

Something in his attitude had changed when he had seen Lavi again. Tyki was now present and even a little intrigued, for reasons that he did not understand. He felt inclined to engage in some sort of discussion but had no idea how to approach his nephew—not after all this time.

Lavi didn’t seem to pay much heed to Tyki, just walked forward the trail leading to the gardens. He kept up the quick pace, making small comments and explaining shortly what kind of things had be done as they passed some new additions. The lack of enthusiasm was evident in his voice, and not once did he turn his head to Tyki’s direction to see if Tyki was even following him.

Tyki glanced at their surroundings, too bothered to take everything it. Sure, the warm autumn made everything look colourful. The seasonal flowers were pretty, and apple trees full of fruits were a nice sight—but Tyki just couldn’t focus properly. He was too fixated on his nephew and how much the change in Lavi was affecting him. He still couldn’t believe that such a scrawny little kid could develop into something like this. Lavi was now almost as tall as Tyki, and Tyki considered himself above average. Lavi’s hands were in his coat pockets, and Tyki noted how they connected to his widened shoulders—gone were the bony little levers attached to that flat excuse of a torso. Lavi looked like a proper, functional human being—and a beautiful one.

Tyki couldn’t deny it: Lavi looked  _ good _ . He admitted that he had been quite excited about him when he had first seen him from that balcony. Had Lavi not been a relative, Tyki would have surely searched him from the party and offered to keep him company for a night. The thought made him feel stupid and embarrassed: why hadn’t he figured out Lavi’s identity until it had been shouted at his face? Not that many kids around here had reddish hair and one eye covered.

Tyki should have known. He felt both guilty and cheated—and even more guilty for feeling cheated in the first place. Even if he hadn’t recognized Lavi, he still couldn’t have had his way with his nephew! That was just… creepy! He felt a shiver go down his spine at the thought.

At some point of their stroll, Lavi had stopped trying to explain things and just continued walking forward. Tyki watched the wind blow and play with his clothes and hair, a few fallen leaves twirling by his side. The dark green suit had lost some of its shape, but it looked even better hanging on Lavi’s frame like a natural piece of cloth. Lavi’s hair had become more undone, and some of those slicked-back strands were escaping back to their natural places. Lavi didn’t even bother trying to correct them anymore.

Tyki thought he should try to start that discussion now. There was still a lot of the garden to be seen, and walking the whole tour in silence didn’t sound too appealing. He went through a list of subjects in his head and tried to choose something relatively easy and comfortable. The weather? The day? Maybe Road? But, as if reacting to Tyki’s thoughts, Lavi came to a sudden stop.

Lavi sighed and tapped the ground with his foot. Tyki arched his eyebrow questionably and stopped few meters away from his nephew, wondering what had caused the pause. Lavi seemed to take in a breath before turning around and facing Tyki.

“Look…” Lavi started, letting his eyes wander down to the ground before saying, “ W e should stop this mockery of an attempt.” Tyki’s eyes  widened slightly, not having expected such strong words and the tired, fed up tone from his nephew.

“You don’t like it, I don’t like it. So let’s stop pretending and wasting time,” Lavi continued with a stronger voice. He took a step forward and corrected his posture, standing tall as he raised his gaze, fixing it on Tyki’s. Whatever words Tyki was preparing to say died in his throat in that instant. Lavi’s eye was burning. The evident hesitation from before was gone and replaced with something powerful and unyielding. The pressure of that gaze was so intense that it made Tyki want to take a step backwards, if he hadn’t been glued to his place.

“If dad asks, I’ll simply tell him that we caught up a little,” Lavi said, putting emphasis on the words, as if he was talking to a caveman with a lower intelligence. Tyki opened his mouth, but closed it immediately. He nodded, unable to tear his eyes away from Lavi’s.

“Good. I’ll see you later,” Lavi stated and raised his chin. He left with a stomp in his steps,  kicking up the dirt and tiny pebbles in his wake . It took a second before Tyki could even blink. He peeked over his shoulder to see Lavi heading towards the mansion—as if Tyki and the encounter between them hadn’t existed in the first place.

Tyki let out a whistle and digged his pocket with shaky fingers. He needed a smoke. Now. He found a fresh cigarette and managed to light it up before sitting down on a nearby bench. He took a long drag and let the nicotine calm his nerves. It did him wonders.

Tyki couldn’t recall ever seeing that kind of look in Lavi’s eye before. He remembered a frightened kid, one who would hastily get out of Tyki’s way if he happened to pass by. A kid that would look down to his feet if Tyki caught him staring. A kid who had learnt not to try and provoke Tyki in any way.

This Lavi, however, was different.

An amused grin found its way on Tyki’s face and he shook his head in disbelief, a cigarette stuck on his lips. He might just sit here for a while and smoke the rest of his carton. Soon he would have to go back to that dreadful party and play a bachelor to all those boring women his brother would try to introduce to him—they were the complete opposite of what Tyki usually liked. Sheril loved to play a matchmaker, and surely Tyki wouldn’t be spared this time either.

His thoughts returned to his nephew, and how they had barely managed to exchange two or three words between them. He was still shocked at how much Lavi had grown and changed, both  inside and out. He found it… strangely intriguing.

“Who knew such an ugly duckling could turn into a real swan?” Tyki chuckled to himself, remembering how Lavi had almost walked over him, and continued shaking his head, grin still wide on his face.

He needed to finish his cigarettes and head back to the party. Who knew if Sheril would send Lavi to fetch him if he didn’t show up. Tyki wasn’t sure if he was ready to face another burn from that green flame just yet, even if some part of the thought felt strangely appealing.

 


	2. Bridges Aren't Built in a Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Una:  
> DGM is getting an official manga chapter in a week! Yahoo! Time to celebrate by uploading a first proper chapter of this questionable thing. Hope you, other Lucky fans, will find it enjoyable.
> 
> Kash:  
> We are playing Easter egg hunt with you... good luck!
> 
> Thanks again [KittyBandit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyBandit) for being a wonderful, patient friend and betaing this word monster.

_ “I’m sure everything will be alright,” _ Allen had said.

_ “Try to think more positively,” _ Lena had said.

Yuu had remained quiet.

They had been trying to help. They had been trying reassure him that it wouldn’t be the same as it had been seven years ago. Lavi had wanted to believe so, too.

He had been given the confirmation a month ago—Sheril had announced that Tyki, having finished his studies, would return to live with them in the mansion.

Lavi had been in denial for a week. He had fallen ill and skipped the school during the week after that. On the third week, he had finally broken down and cried, surrounding himself with his closest friends for comfort. The last week he had spent mentally preparing himself and collecting his courage, supported by Allen, Lenalee, and Kanda.

It couldn’t be like seven years ago;  _ he wouldn’t let it be _ .

Repeating that promise over and over again in his head, he had entered the main building, clenching his hands into fists full of fighting spirit. It felt like he’d been cast into the tenth circle of Hell.

He was now back outside, the wind blowing colder than earlier. Lavi let out a ragged breath and stuck his shivering hands in the pockets of his coat. His feet moved by muscle memory, following a path they had walked hundreds of times. The Kamelot family’s garden was huge, and there were still many things to see, making Lavi want to hurry up. However, no matter how fast he walked, the haunting steps behind him refused to disappear.

Lavi knew he was trying harder than usual to keep his act together. He could think of several things he’d rather do than walk around the mansion grounds with his reluctant uncle. Days’ worth of mental preparation didn’t prevent him from feeling like he had been forced to swallow hot coal; not only had his father asked him to interact with Tyki, he had also been left alone with him.  Any second now, Lavi was expecting his uncle’s facade to crumble and the walk to turn into a bombing of taunts and insults.

Despite having a huge respect for his father, Lavi hated how Sheril had put him into a corner like this. He knew his father wanted his precious family to get along, but trying to force the ideal on them only made matters worse. This tour had been a terrible,  _ terrible _ idea. Lavi was a little surprised that Tyki had actually went along with it without a fight. He had expected him to drop the act the moment Sheril turned away, throw a nasty remark and walk away. But the man had followed him outside and, to Lavi’s surprise, kept on strolling along. Lavi couldn’t understand  _ why _ .

If his uncle was waiting for a perfect chance to reveal his true colours and show Lavi his place, he was taking his time. Damn snake.

The longer the awkward moment stretched, the more stressful it became. Lavi’s heels hit the ground more forcefully with each step, as if a storm was brewing inside him, waiting to be released. Just because Tyki hadn’t attacked him yet didn’t mean he wouldn’t soon.

Lavi clenched his teeth in frustration. He didn’t want to continue on with this charade. And he was certain Tyki didn’t want to, either. There was no point in pretending. He was ending this nonsense.

Lavi stopped walking and turned around, swallowing his anxiety.

He had come here today prepared for a fight. This time, no matter what, he would stand his ground.

Summoning all the dark, angry feelings he had buried inside himself all these years, Lavi told Tyki that they were going to end the walk right there. Not giving his uncle a chance to recover or reply, he walked away, leaving the dumbstruck man behind to eat his dust.

Lavi returned to the party and avoided everyone like the plague, gravitating towards the less crowded areas. He wasn’t particularly afraid of his father showing up, as he believed Tyki too would be reluctant to expose their failed reunion, but he was still drained from the encounter. Putting on a fake smile and entertaining the guests didn’t sound particularly compelling, and Lavi would have wanted nothing more than to retire to his room in the living quarters. But, as the son of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, he had a role to perform, and he was expected to hang around for a good while.

Heart still racing, Lavi slipped through the ballroom by moving close to the wall and snatched himself a glass of water. He needed to cool down and tidy his appearance. Eyeing the nearby corridors, he tried to figure out which one had the least amount of people. To his relief, one of them looked like it repelled life itself, and Lavi spotted a free couch at the back. Emptying the glass and returning it to the waiter, Lavi sneaked into the corridor and collapsed on the plush cushions.

Finally, for first time since entering the party, Lavi felt like he could put down his mask and let the emotional dam break. He leaned against the backrest and let his body go all limp, imagining he was finally alone. He loosened his tie and brought his hand to his hair, giving it few scratches before letting out a small laugh; no use trying to fix that mess, it had a personality of its own.

Lavi’s smile changed into a melancholic one, and he turned his head to stare outside of the window, from which he could see the back of the garden. He really wished his little stunt wouldn’t come back to bite him in the ass. This was just the first day he had been forced to endure his uncle, and he already felt more tired than he had the whole month. Today he had bared his fangs to Tyki, and he didn’t know what repercussions to expect from him. They hadn’t seen in years, and Lavi couldn’t exactly take his father’s word when it came to his uncle. His father had always tended to look past Tyki’s flaws.

Lavi poked his teeth with his tongue. He tried to be reasonable. Seven years was a long time, and the medical school Tyki had attended was strict; even Tyki must have changed during that time. Lavi just didn’t know how much, and that made him nervous.

Lavi didn’t want to fight his uncle; he didn’t like fighting in general. He could handle ignoring each other’s presence, but he didn’t want to have to hide away like a scared child. He had spent years trying to accept the Kamelot household as his home—he simply couldn’t fade into the background and let Tyki destroy all that hard work. If that meant he had to fight his uncle, so be it.

Still, Lavi felt a cold layer of dread descend over him as he thought about the worst case scenario. Needing to stand on his toes, receiving malicious stares, being prepared to get lashed out... that could be a daily occurrence. And Lavi knew he couldn’t take it. Not in his very own home, where he was supposed to feel safe and be himself. He knew he couldn’t take that kind of constant torment for long.

Lavi’s musings were interrupted when he felt a weight press down the other side of the couch. He gave its source a quick look before returning to his own thoughts. It was just one of the guests, and hopefully they were taking a break too and wouldn’t bother him too much. But to Lavi’s irritation, the guest was anything but quiet. The large man was obviously drunk, speaking unnecessarily loudly and making exaggerated gestures with his big, clumsy hands.

Lavi eyed him from the corner of his eye with a masked scorn. He was not in a mood for this kind of encounter, with a person who had probably never held a pen for longer than five minutes. The mere presence of the man was obnoxious. He panted heavily, despite having sat down for several minutes, as if the act of speaking alone was too straining for him. He was continuously wiping his big, sweaty forehead with a napkin, and Lavi noticed the stains of grease and something, possible meat sauce, on his pants. Hopefully the man had managed to clean his hands; Lavi didn’t dare to think how much of the furniture could have been ruined if this man had touched them recklessly.

The man talked about himself and himself only, blabbering about this and that. Lavi nodded from time to time, trying to pretend he was somehow following, but he didn’t dare to make an eye contact and encourage the man. He didn’t care to know about his shit, and he wished the man would take a hint and scram. Out of all the places and seats the man could have landed his ass on, he just had to sink it next to him. Lavi wanted to get up and leave without a word, but knew better; this was his father’s party, and chances were that this man was some high-up with an overgrown ego. As a minister’s son, Lavi was expected to be polite and interested in politics and industrial matters, and he had to endure these kinds of dreadful speeches all the time.

Lavi continued nodding politely as the man made lame jokes and listed the expensive things he owned. The man’s small eyes squinted, and Lavi wondered if he could see anything with them, being so drunk. He reminded Lavi of a certain even-toed ungulate with a snout... Okay, maybe that was a little too cruel.

Hoping the man would get bored faster if humoured with a few comments, Lavi started replying automatically. Throwing in a random “yeah yeah” and “I see” should be bland enough to make him drop the interest. A sudden sound of clapping hands made Lavi jump a little, and he turned his head into the man’s direction.

What the hell?

The man was smirking widely, revealing a row of unnaturally white teeth. He had thrown an arm over the backrest, and he was stretching his neck towards Lavi. “Have you ever been on a yacht, boy?” he asked and rubbed the fingers of his free hand together, making gross, rubber-like sounds. “I have one at the harbour. It’s brand new, and it could use some visitors.” His eyes locked on Lavi and scanned his frame shamelessly. And, to Lavi’s horror, he started moving closer, like a hunter who had noticed a new prey.

Lavi’s eye grew large and he stiffened instinctively. It took him a moment to shake of the surprise and slide further away from the man. Unfortunately, he was at the end of the couch, and the large armrest at his side prevented him from slipping to the floor. Before Lavi could stand up, an arm shot over his legs and grabbed the armrest, trapping Lavi on his seat. Lavi cursed by himself as the man settled right next to him, not getting a major fucking hint. He could smell the alcohol and something foul, making the invasion on his personal space even more uncomfortable.

The man continued talking about inviting Lavi to his boat, a new kind of excitement present in his voice. Combined with the sudden closeness and a sickeningly warm body right by his side, Lavi felt claustrophobic and stopped replying. He needed to figure out a way out of the situation and fast. He didn’t like where he thought it was going.

Suddenly, hot breath burned Lavi’s neck, and he twisted his head away with a loud yelp. The man’s face was way too close, and he was still smiling that creepy smile, giving Lavi goosebumps. “Hey, kid. It’s rude to ignore good company,” the man said with a more demanding voice. A fake, humorous scowl appeared on his face, as if he was scolding a child, before the grin returned. Lavi held his tongue and averted his gaze, refusing to show how disturbed this made him feel.

Lavi felt it then—the weight of the man’s hand pressing down his leg. His mouth dried up.

“How about a new introduction,” the man said with smug voice. “My name is Dlanod Ruff, the owner of the largest fishing company on Earth. No need to tell me yours—your father always brags about you,  _ Lavi _ .” The way he put emphasis on his name made Lavi’s stomach turn, even before Dlanod added, “But he never mentioned that you were this cute, for a guy.”

Okay, that was it! Fuck this dude!

Lavi moved, trying to shake Dlanod’s painful hold from his leg. He couldn’t take this anymore; he could barely hold down a scream. He put on his most annoyed expression and let out a low growl. “Let go of my leg. Now,” he spat, not bothering to stay polite anymore.

Dlanod just laughed. “How adorable. But Lavi, there’s no need to get so agitated,” he said and squeezed Lavi’s thigh reassuringly. “I know how to take care of people like you. Never had any complaints.”

With a snarl, Lavi finally managed to slap Dlanod’s offending hand away, and he shouted at him angrily, “It must be impossible to complain if you flatten their vocal chords, along with their other organs!”  

“Ooh, such a filthy mouth,” Dlanod answered suggestively. “One has to wonder what else it is capable of.” Lavi felt like he was bleeding internally, wanting to rip off his ears.

The nerve of this guy! How dared he?! Lavi wanted to punch the living daylights out of the man, but held back. The creep was still one of his father’s guests, and Lavi knew better than hurt them.

But before Lavi could storm off, Dlanod threw a heavy arm over his shoulders and pulled him close. Lavi hissed and tried to push him away, but Dlanod grabbed one of his wrists and wrenched it painfully, unable to control his strength due to too much alcohol. “What the hell do you think you are doing?” Lavi asked loudly. “Get your hands off, or I’ll call the security!” His father’s guest or not, no one was allowed to manhandle him, no matter how drunk they were!

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Lavi dear,” Dlanod said and stroke his fingers over Lavi’s captive shoulder. “Your father has been looking forward to this party for a long time. After all, he is finally able to reunite with his precious brother.” His grin widened, and the fingers became a spider-like fork, digging into Lavi’s sleeve. “I’m sure he would want everything to be just perfect. You wouldn’t want ruin such an important event by making a scene, would you?”

Lavi refused to let the effect of those words show on his face. Unknown to Dlanod, he had hit very close to the truth—Lavi’s father had really been looking forward to this party, as well as Tyki’s return. While his father was less of a perfectionist and more understanding than he let on, learning about this kind of incident would definitely upset Sheril greatly. He’d blame himself for not being able to help Lavi sooner, and it’d bother him for months.

Lavi really didn’t want to put his father through that pain right now. He, and even his damn uncle, had worked so hard to behave and make this a pleasant event for Sheril. Lavi couldn’t just ruin it!

Some of his confusion must have slipped past the mask. Dlanod started sliding down the hand holding Lavi’s shoulder, chuckling in satisfaction. “Knew you were a good boy. Your father doesn’t praise you for nothing.” He turned Lavi to face his direction and started pulling him towards his lap, closing the little distance they still had between them. “Why don’t you behave like the good host you’re supposed to be and entertain your guest for a while?”

Lavi felt the colour drain from his face. Fuck, fuck, FUCK! How on earth did he manage to get himself in this situation to begin with? Was it too late to get away without dirtying his hands?

He was frozen like ice as Dlanod’s hand cupped his face, and those artificially filled lips whispered in delusion, “I could even be your daddy for tonight, you know? You’d like that, wouldn’t y—”

“Lavi.”

The sudden, familiar voice broke through Lavi’s panicked thoughts. He blinked, and the terror that had left him stiff like a statue dissipated. It also stopped the advancement of Dlanod’s hands.

Dlanod grunted, clearly frustrated for getting disrupted in the middle of the fun. He looked aside, trying to locate the source of the voice. Lavi followed his gaze and his eye landed on the last person he had expected to see—or wanted for that matter.

It was his uncle, and Lavi felt like crying.

Out of all people of this world, it had to be his damn uncle who found him being molested by a pervert!

Tyki’s expression was unreadable. He was staring at both Lavi and Dlanod for a long time before looking Lavi dead in the eye. Lavi tried to become as small as possible, preferably to disappear entirely. He wished he could’ve done that for real—it would’ve saved him from being accosted by a horny drunk in the first place. He knew he would receive some sarcastic comment from his uncle, probably congratulating him for finding something to “entertain” himself with. But Tyki’s next words surprised him.

“Sheril asked me to come and fetch you. He has matters he’d like to discuss with you.”

Lavi stared at Tyki in disbelief, mouth agape like a broken drawer. It didn’t take him longer than couple of seconds to compose himself and stand up, slipping away from his offender’s fingers. He hopped next to his uncle with a few quick steps, relieved that Dlanod didn’t try reaching out for him.

He had no idea why Tyki had been sent to get him, but right now he didn’t care—he was free.

“If you’ll excuse us, urgent family matters,” Tyki said and began walking away. Lavi followed him without a second thought. He could hear Dlanod wishing Tyki “welcome back, Mister Mikk” from behind and oinking something in his drunken voice. Lavi stopped listening and moved faster, passing Tyki, in order to put as much distance as possible between himself and the dreadful creature.

Lavi only slowed down when he reached the hallway leading to the stairs. Tyki, having managed to keep up, joined him at his side, and they walked silently for several minutes. They didn’t seem to be in a hurry, and Lavi took his time to recover from his disgusting experience.

When they reached the staircase, Lavi finally dared to ask, “Did father tell you why he wanted to see me?”

Tyki glanced at Lavi for a mere second before returning his eyes to the stairs. “He didn’t call you,” he said with a neutral voice and grabbed the handrail. “I just figured you needed a hand there.” Lavi nearly stumbled on the first step as he abruptly came to a stop. Tyki either didn’t notice or he simply didn’t care; he started to climb the staircase casually, as if he hadn’t just said anything unusual.

Lavi couldn’t prevent his eyebrows from furrowing in confusion. He wasn’t sure if he had heard correctly—had Tyki just admitted to helping him out of his own free will? His uncle was joking, wasn’t he?

Lavi stared at Tyki’s back getting further and further away from him, and he hurried to climb the first steps of the staircase. If his uncle was lying, he had to have some reason for it. Lavi expected him to turn around at any moment and crack a wicked smile, releasing whatever shitstorm he was holding up his sleeve.

Lavi, now half-way up the stairs, took a calculating look down. When he returned his gaze up, he saw Tyki standing at the end of the stairs, waiting for him expectedly. Lavi hurried up, watching Tyki’s moves like a hawk, and rushed over the last steps. He arrived to the upper floor unscathed and stood beside Tyki, making sure he wasn’t too close to the edge—he didn’t want to get pushed down. Tyki blinked at him before moving to another hallway, avoiding the bothersome ballroom at the ground floor.

Lavi didn’t fancy returning to downstairs and possibly running into Dlanod again, so he caught up to Tyki and continued walking next to him. He watched his uncle for any sudden movements, but no matter how much he tried to pick up negative signals, Tyki didn’t do anything suspicious. A part of Lavi was starting to wonder if the man had actually been sincere with his words.

Lavi then remembered that Tyki had offered to shake his hand earlier. His father might have orchestrated their meeting, but he surely wouldn’t force them into a physical contact. Lavi didn’t recall Tyki ever touching him without ill will. He... hadn’t actually detected any form of disdain from Tyki today, not in the way he had been looked at or spoken to. Lavi didn’t know what to think about it.

Could his uncle have really calmed down during his stay abroad? He seemed more mature than the last time Lavi had seen him. There was a noticeable change in his attitude—Lavi just couldn’t tell whether it was genuine or an act. The old Tyki would have stood aside, watching Lavi getting humiliated by that disgusting man. Maybe Tyki had just became a decent human being?

Well, no matter the reason. Unless Tyki was up to some cruel mind games, he had really saved up Lavi’s ass back there.

Lavi scratched the back of his head. “You know... I haven’t thanked you yet,” he said, unintentionally allowing a bit of embarrassment to slip into his voice. He shoved his hands back into his pockets, not finding better use for them, and added, “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

Tyki tilted his head a bit before giving Lavi a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, tone calm and understanding. His eyes had a naturally sharp shape, but his raised cheekbones made them look a bit softer. “You shouldn’t have had to deal with something like that. No one should.” It didn’t sound like helping Lavi had been an unpleasant or bothersome chore.

Relieved, Lavi offered Tyki a smile of his own. “Well... that sometimes happens when father holds a party,” he said with a sad voice. “When drunk, those people will go for anything, as long as it’s warm and moves.” Unfortunately, this hadn’t been his first bad experience with his father’s guests. He was rarely this helpless, and he hoped Tyki wouldn’t take it as a sign of weakness.

“But yeah, thanks for helping me to get rid of that nuisance,” Lavi repeated in a lighter tone. “It was a sticky case, and I couldn’t have been happier to get away from those nasty hands.”

Tyki grinned down at him, catching the humour in his words. “Speaking of sticky things,” he said and pointed at Lavi’s leg, “it appears to have left a few stains of grease to where those hands touched.”

Lavi looked down, checking his pants and coat, and made a face of an utter disgust. “Fuck! I’ll have to throw these away!” he cursed aloud, exploding from a newly-lit rage. “That fucking pig!” As if harassing him and messing with his head hadn’t been enough—that overgrown embryo just had to ruin his new suit too! Lavi then heard a strange laugh from Tyki’s direction and realized that he had just lost his cool in front of his uncle.

Being able to hear his own shouts still echoing through the hallway, Lavi slapped a hand over his mouth, his eye widening as big as a saucer. If there was something his father absolutely hated, it was his children using foul language—especially in public places and events. Well, it was a little late to take back the outburst, even if no one but Tyki heard it. Lavi looked away from Tyki in irritation and embarrassment, waiting to get scolded or taunted at.

“Nah,” Tyki suddenly said, instead of chastising Lavi. “You are absolutely right—that guy was a fucking pig.”

Lavi dropped a hand from his mouth, pointing at Tyki with it. “Did... did you just,” he muttered, speechless. His ears had already been exposed to so many unbelievable things in one day, and Lavi was starting suspect that there was something wrong with his head. Even Tyki had never cursed in his family’s presence, unless he had been really drunk or pissed.

Tyki shrugged his shoulders and wiggled his eyebrows. He looked like he had broken some forbidden law and was actually proud of it, like a smooth criminal. Lavi just stared and held his breath, until he felt a knot, which he hadn’t even realized had been there, untying inside him. It was like some heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders, releasing him from all the worry and nervousness that had been eating him up for weeks. His lips wavered, but he couldn’t prevent a wide grin from forming on his face. “You know, if dad heard us speaking like this, he would complain for a month,” he said, unable to control a snicker.

Tyki started laughing freely, not holding back either. “Oh, well. We both know it doesn’t take much to make my brother lose his shit,” he stated matter-of-factly. That was all it really took for Lavi to join him in a full-blown laughter.

That silly exchange had somehow managed to melt the wall of ice which had existed between the uncle and the nephew for years. The tension between Lavi and Tyki dissipated as they continued making fun of the man they had now granted the honorary “Pig” title., and occasionally Sheril, using the foulest and most colourful language they could come up with.

At some point they had arrived at the stairs leading down to the grand foyer, but instead of joining the crowd below, stopped there and continued their chatting on the upper floor. Had either of them been asked, they couldn’t have denied enjoying the other’s company for the first time in their lives.

 

Tyki barely remembered how bored he had been before he had accidentally found Lavi again.

Sheril had sent several potential wife candidates in his way, and Tyki had already lost interest after a few discussions and dances. He had escaped his duties to a remote hallway, using the chance to open up a window and smoke until he didn’t feel like strangling someone anymore. It was from there that he had first paid attention to the remote couch with an unusually loud and irritating occupant—and a tuft of red hair.

He was now glad that he had decided to stay close and follow the event with the side of his eye. How the things could have escalated without his interruption was something he didn’t want to think about.

Lavi had been a little shaken but fine, and Tyki was glad that he had managed to cheer up the boy along the way. He was also surprised how much his mood had improved once he had gotten a chance to patch up that disastrous garden stroll.

They were still humouring each other by cracking jokes, and Tyki watched Lavi to loosen up with each successful laugh.

Lavi danced around the floor, coat open. He had also removed his tie and wrapped it around his wrist. “Do you think our Piggy has claimed many victims?” he joked, raising his leg and examining the gross stains stuck on his pants’ fabric.

Tyki leaned his back on the railing, pretending that he was actually serious about the subject. “Well, it’s hard to say. Even if he has managed to trick some unfortunate soul to spend five minutes with him, I don’t think they’d live to the next day. It’s either the shame or the Pig itself who kills them, and their bodies probably end up dropped in the sea from that boat of his.” Tyki had discovered that darker humour suited Lavi just fine, and he wasn’t afraid to offer up the fruits of his imagination for their entertainment.

Lavi hummed and nodded in agreement. He then sighed dramatically and put both hands over his heart in a mock gesture. “And to think,” he said in horrified voice, “I could have been one of them!” Lavi immediately laughed after releasing the comment and stuck out his tongue, visibly shivering.

“Well, I’m glad you weren’t.” The short reply surprised even Tyki himself. He was still smiling at Lavi, but his tone had become more serious. Before Lavi could wonder what was up, Tyki rushed to explain. “Some people... they just see others as tools to fulfil their own, selfish desires.”

Tyki wondered why he had felt a need to say that.

Lavi stopped hopping around and averted his gaze to the carpet. “Yeah... it was creepy. I really didn’t know what to do back there,” he admitted with a small voice, and Tyki immediately regretted turning the discussion into serious matters.

Tyki sighed and relaxed his posture. “Sorry, didn’t mean to turn this into a Doctor Tyki episode,” he said and removed his gloves, getting an urge to copy Lavi’s loosened-up style. Whatever might have been on his mind was brushed aside, and he felt his mood getting a boost when Lavi met his gaze again.

“Let’s forget the lecturing and go back to talking shit”, Tyki suggested. “I’d rather bank a few laughs before Sheril finds some absurd way to ruin our fun.” The corners of Lavi’s mouth turned back upwards, and Tyki couldn’t have been more pleased with himself.

It wasn’t long before Road found them. She at the top of the stairs, changed into a puffy, pink dress covering her better than her previous one—much to Tyki’s relief. She still had her ridiculous bolero on, suggesting that she had either held her ground against her father or was just being plain rebellious.

“You two actually managed to have a proper chat?” she asked, a surprise evident in her voice. Tyki gave her a mysterious grin before messing up her hair again, receiving a sharp kick to his ankle as thanks. He had to hold his foot for several minutes before the pain started lessening, and Lavi watched him the whole time, giving him pitying looks. He didn’t say anything until Tyki was able to stand with both legs again.

“I think I should get going. Early class tomorrow,” Lavi said as he took a quick look at the empty hallway, shuddering. He looked more tired than a moment ago, and raised his hand to make a small, shy wave. “Thanks for the chat… and that other thing,” he repeated before wishing both Tyki and Road a good night. He then took the stairs down, disappearing in the mass of remaining guests.

Crossing his arms over the railing, Tyki kept staring at the spot where Lavi had last been visible. It had been... interesting to spend time with the boy, and he was positively surprised. He wouldn’t have minded talking to him a little longer, and the sudden way Lavi had made his exit left Tyki feeling empty.

A low humming from the side interrupted his musings. Tyki turned his attention back to his niece who was swaying sideways, hands held behind her back. Her new dress made her look like an upside-down rose, but Tyki was aware of the hidden thorns. That innocent-looking expression on Road’s face could have been cute, had Tyki not been familiar with her true nature.

“You seemed to be getting along quite well there,” Road said with a voice too sweet. She let her upper lip rise, revealing small, impish teeth. Her gleaming eyes narrowed, and she looked at Tyki as if she could see right through him. “Reeeeeally well. My brother is quite handsome, after all.”

Tyki snorted at her accusing tone. He had simply done what any proper man would have, helping out a person in distress! He and Lavi might not have been best friends, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t keep each other company to avoid their common enemy—the party.

Sure, he had been pleasantly surprised by the changes in his nephew, but could he really be blamed since he hadn’t seen the kid in years?

Road continued humming. The teasing tune, which Tyki now recognized it as “Hey there, Delilah” was growing in volume. “You know, my brother has red hair,” Road suddenly said. “I think I’ve seen you bring home a few redheads before.”

Tyki called her name out in a warningly tone, but Road pretended she hadn’t heard him.

“I remember a certain someone who used to hang around a few years ago. If my memory is correct, he too had rather striking red hair,” she mused aloud, as if she was talking to herself. That fox-in-child’s-clothing slid closer to Tyki and sunk her paws into his sleeve, preventing him from ignoring her.

She looked like the queen from Snow White, offering Tyki a poisoned apple, as she said, “My brother fits into your  _ type _ a little too well, doesn’t he?”

Tyki’s niece was only 13 years old, but she had an ability of being able to read, manipulate and play mind games with people. It was usually hilarious to watch or compete with, but Tyki didn’t like being in her line of fire.

Whatever idea she had gotten in her mind, it was absurd and tasteless!

Tyki groaned and tried to shake her off, but her predator’s nails didn’t budge from the fabric of his sleeve. Road giggled like a creepy fairy while Tyki shouted at her, “Road, this is your father’s suit! The last thing I want to do is to return it to him full of holes!”

Road let out a small “boo hoo” before finally letting go. She clasped her hands behind her head this time, not caring if she looked like a proper lady or not, and asked, “Are you still seeing that funny priest of yours? Or are you looking for other fish now?”

Tyki fixed the newly formed wrinkles from his clothes and let out a deep sigh. He brushed a few loose hairs away from his face and looked into the emptying hall below, suddenly feeling really old. “He was a professional con-priest, not a real religious person,” he said dully. “The thing between me and Cross ended years ago.”

Road arched her eyebrows but didn’t make any funny comments. She examined her black-painted nails and smiled. “Well, father is father,” she said, changing a subject to her father. “He will always throw a fit about one thing or another.” She then shrugged her shoulders and gave Tyki a sympathetic look. “It’s hard to please him, but he always has your best interests in his mind.”

Road reached for Tyki’s hand, this time taking it into hers more gently. “It’s good to see that you are able to get along with Lavi now,” she said, rubbing Tyki’s knuckles with her small thumb. “Besides seeming so cheerful most of the time, my brother is quite reserved person. Not many are able see his true self.” She paused, and the cheerful feeling returned back to her character. “You  _ will _ become a better uncle to him than what you used to be,” she declared firmly—and, despite the humorous choice of words, Tyki was sure she wasn’t exaggerating in the slightest.

The fairy-like giggling returned, and Road grabbed both of Tyki’s hands, turning him around so that she could look at him straight in the eyes. Tyki had assumed that her assault had already ended, but the cold sweat at the back of his neck warned him that it wasn’t over just yet. “But you know what, dear Tyki,” Road said kindly and batted her eyelashes, squeezing his hands harder. It was like she was reaching out for Tyki’s very soul, trying to drag it out and reveal his darkest secrets.” Road smiled at Tyki’s expression and said, “If something more were to come out of you and my brother, I wouldn’t mind.”

Tyki’s eyes threatened to pop out of his skull. He swallowed painfully and said, “Road, you shouldn’t joke about such things.” He tried to sound like an adult counselling a child, but his voice stuttered and revealed his inner horror.

Road’s loud laughter woke Tyki from the shock, even if it took him a minute to be able to smile again. She had gotten him good, and Tyki felt relieved that she had just been pulling a trick on him. Still, the irritation of having been fooled crept in, and Tyki pinched his niece’s cheeks in revenge. “You little... have you been reading too many Internet stories over the years? You have developed quite a twisted taste, dear niece.”

Road grinned widely and slapped Tyki’s hands away, countering with, “No, but I have been reading into _ you _ , dear uncle.” The comment made the niece and the uncle share an evil laugh.

A large bell could be heard ringing outside, signalling the turn of the day. It was already midnight, and Tyki followed Road’s gaze down to the hall where not a single soul could be seen partying anymore.

Road let out a loud yawn and wobbled on her feet. She blinked and stretched her arms in order the get back the control of her limbs. “I’m going to check on dad and head for bed,” she said and hopped down the first steps of the staircase before giving Tyki a questioning look. “Are you coming too? Sorry, but I don’t think you are going to find better company for tonight,” she said, not joking this time.

Tyki rolled his eyes in disbelief and followed Road down the stairs, finding her words ridiculous and little offending. “This is only my first day back in the country, and even my niece expects me to sleep around? Phah! What kind of person do you take me for?” He continued muttering a few tired things, considering the assumption ruthless. Still, he couldn’t quite erase the small doubt that had managed bury itself in his mind, giving him unpleasant vibes.

There  _ had _ been one person he wouldn’t have minded taking to his room.

 

\----------------------------

 

Residential wing had always been the cozier part of the mansion. It contained rooms of the members of the household, few bathrooms, a smaller kitchen, a family-only living room, and a remote balcony. Tyki had always preferred its less polished atmosphere, and he was more than happy that it had taken him only three days to settle in.

He had been a little worried how his old room, full of memories, might have felt after so many years—but it couldn’t have been more comfortable. The old smells were gone, and everything worn out had been replaced. The closets only contained the few clothes Tyki had brought back, and Tyki couldn’t wait to get them filled with new, fresh things. The only thing that had remained in the room was the old, loyal bed.

It wasn’t too difficult to get used to the house he had spent most of his life in. The weekend after the party had been relaxing compared to the first day’s crucible.

Tyki was on his way to the kitchen, when a loud bang from upstairs startled him. It was like a bomb had gone off somewhere, or a heavy table had been flipped over and smacked against the floor. Tyki almost dropped the empty coffee cup he was carrying.  Furrowing his eyebrows, he listened attentively; early Monday morning was an odd time for a burglary, but you never knew what went on in the heads of the criminals.

Quick steps could be heard rushing towards the stairs and making their way down. Tyki’s gaze followed them and locked on a long, red scarf whipping through the air. It was tied around the neck of the culprit, who was soon revealed as a very upset Lavi. He was holding a book in his mouth, his hands trying to shove a huge pile of papers into his bag. The file holding them together looked like it was about to rip in half any second now, and Lavi made small, hissy noises. With his other hand Lavi tried to keep the bag open so that he could get the papers in, but the items were putting up a fight.

Lavi was half-way down the stairs when he started skipping steps. This didn’t work in his favour, as he tripped on the very last step and fell, scattering the load on his arms all around the room. Lavi managed to stop himself mere seconds before pancaking his face into the wooden floor. Looking from side to side in confusion, he sat on his knees and looked like a bird fallen from a tree.

“Shit!” Lavi cursed quietly as he started collecting the papers with hasty moves. Tyki approached him hesitantly, slowly lowering himself down before starting to pick up the papers flown in his way. He had barely seen his nephew during recent days, and he was surprised to see him in a condition like this.

The boy looked like a complete mess. His hair was a bush of orange sticking everywhere, and even if it had shown signs of rebellion at Tyki’s welcome party, Tyki didn’t recall ever seeing it like that before. Lavi’s jacket was wrinkly too, and his scarf hung lazily around his neck. A dark circle was starting to form under his uncovered eye, and his movements were slightly shaky as he extended his arms to hoard as many runaway papers as possible.

“Rough night?” Tyki asked, picking up more papers and organizing them into a pile.

Lavi nodded but didn’t look like he really registered a presence of another person. “Uh.. ah, yeah,” was all that he was able to get out of his mouth, too focused on the task at hand. He must have still been half asleep.

Tyki hummed thoughtfully and proceeded to grab the rest of the papers still lying around him. Once he had gotten all of them, he held them in a pile in front of Lavi. He cleared up his throat and said, “There you go,” to catch the boy’s attention.

Lavi’s head shot upwards, startled. He shook it few times and blinked, as if he had trouble seeing in front of him.  _ Poor thing _ , Tyki thought and watched in amusement as Lavi took his pile of papers and combined it with the rest on his hands. A small blush had rushed on Lavi’s face, and he kept his gaze at floor, as if he didn’t want Tyki seeing just how out of it he was.

“Thanks,” Lavi murmured, raising his hand to gently rub at his uncovered eye.

“Looks like you didn’t get enough sleep,” Tyki stated obviously. Lavi gave him a quick look before returning his eye to the floor.

“I stayed up late to finish a part of this project,” Lavi said, holding the papers closer to himself. The pile was a size of a small book, and Tyki wondered if Lavi had written all that during the weekend only. Didn’t seem plausible—but Sheril had always praised the boy for being quick and hard-working, so Tyki couldn’t quite abandon the thought.

Lavi soon composed himself. He pushed the papers into the file, and this time managed to get the pile into his bag without anymore trouble. He stood up unsteadily, dizziness and exhaustion still affecting him. In one swift motion, he shouldered his bag and checked that he hadn’t torn his school uniform’s pants.

“Thanks again for helping me. I don’t want to be rude, but I must go or I won’t make it to the bus,” Lavi said and started running towards the door, the scarf following him like a dragon kite. Tyki remained where he was as Lavi turned the handle and threw the door open. A sight of pouring rain greeted him, hitting against the ground so hard that the heavy drops bounced into the lobby. Lavi stopped for a moment, hesitating to take a step into the wretched weather. He didn’t have an umbrella with him.

It was then that Tyki saw a bus driving past their house. It passed the nearby bus stop and continued its way without a pause. Lavi let out a horrified shriek and leaned his head forward, getting his face splashed by the merciless rain. He just stood there at the doorway and stared outside blankly, as if his whole future had just been robbed from him. His shoulders slumped, allowing a strap of his bag to slip down his sleeve, and his heavy bag dropped on the floor with a loud thud. “Shit!” Lavi cursed loudly.

He looked pathetic standing there at the door, helpless. Tyki couldn’t help but walk closer to him. “When is the next bus coming?” he asked as he stopped next to Lavi, seeing how utterly desperate his nephew looked.

Lavi whined and shoved his hands into his pockets in a childish manner. “In half an hour—but that’s too late! Class is starting in an hour, and it takes over forty minutes to get there by a bus,” he ranted, panic in his voice.

The expression on Lavi’s face had turned into a grim pout. The exhaustion and sullen mood gave it a ghostly tint, and Tyki didn’t know if he should feel humoured or afraid. It was a pretty strong reaction for having missed a single bus—as if no one else would be late on a day like this. His nephew seemed like a total swot.

Tyki chuckled at the sight as an idea came to him. “Relax, wonderboy. I’ll take you to your school,” he said and watched Lavi turn into his direction with an unreadable expression. The boy’s posture straightened and his eyebrows rose as his mouth opened slightly. Lavi studied Tyki’s face for a while, and he seemed to be having trouble with choosing his words.

“Isn’t it going to be troublesome for you?” Lavi asked with a small voice. He once again let his gaze drop to the floor as he picked up his bag and tossed it over his shoulder. He fumbled with the strap and kept avoiding Tyki’s eyes. “You know, I think I’d rather take the bike,” he said, hesitating. “I really don’t want to trouble you.”

Tyki looked like he too had been splashed in the face. “Bike? In this weather?” Was the kid out of his mind? “No, no, no—you are getting there by the car or staying home.” He grabbed his coat from the rack and started getting dressed. Lavi continued looking bothered and uncomfortable so Tyki gave him a reassuring smile. “Look, it won’t be a problem at all. I have to stop by the hospital to get some paperwork done anyway, so it’s like killing two birds with one stone.” Waiting for Lavi’s response, he added, “Seriously, let me do this for you, kid. I’ll just grab a cup of coffee and we are off. I promise I’ll get you to the school in time.”

Why was his nephew being difficult all of sudden?

It took a while, but Lavi finally seemed to come to his senses. He nodded, a small smile appearing on his face, as if he had managed to swallow a bad piece of food. “Alright. Thank you,” he said politely—and made Tyki’s smile widen.

Tyki finished his preparations fast and grabbed the car keys. Sheril had a second, more casual car in the garage, which Tyki was allowed to use to drive around the city. Lavi slid into his seat as Tyki turned on the lights and started the car. They drove outside and were instantly attacked by the aggressive rain.

It was the start of another awkward trip, just like in the garden.

Drops of water kept pouring over the windshield, making ominous drumming sounds. The only other sound breaking the silence was the radio, which Tyki had turned on immediately and fumbled with until he found something listenable. Neither he nor Lavi had said a word after leaving the yard; it had already been ten speechless minutes.

Tyki drummed his fingers against the wheel in rhythm with the rain. This was supposed to be a piece of cake; offer Lavi a ride to the university and start a conversation while driving—simple and casual. Unfortunately, it was anything but simple.

Tyki didn’t know where to start. After the party, he hadn’t had time to exchange many words with his nephew. They had passed each other a few times in the corridors and kitchen, but, besides an occasional “hello,” there hadn’t been a proper conversation between them. The dark cloud of judgement wasn’t hovering over their heads anymore, but tension still simmered between them. It felt like they existed in two different places and times, unable to connect properly. It bothered Tyki.

Tyki wanted to know more about his nephew. He wanted to catch up for the first time in seven years, or more precisely, his whole life. He just didn’t know how.

As the ride continued, Tyki managed to sneak a few peeks in Lavi’s direction. Lavi was staring out of the window, not paying any attention to Tyki. His hands sat on his lap forgotten, and his frame looked like an empty shell. The window’s glass reflected his face, but Tyki couldn’t quite figure out what his expression was conveying. He was glad that he was facing the side without the eyepatch, at least.

As traffic grew heavier, Tyki had to slow down and stop the car. People were driving slowly due to the heavy rain, and it was no wonder they found themselves in a traffic jam. Moving at a snail’s pace only intensified the painful quiet that stretched between them, and Tyki couldn’t find anything to distract himself from the uncomfortable silence. Lavi didn’t seem to suffer from the same problem and continued to roam in his own distant world.

Tyki let out a breath through his nose. This was ridiculous! He just needed to start the damn conversation!

Still, what could he say to get his nephew interested in talking to him? Ask about his eyepatch? No! He couldn’t ask about anything too personal since they weren’t quite there yet— _ if _ they would ever get there at all. Tyki weighed a few options in his mind, figuring that he should go with something simple for the start.

“So, what do you actually study?” he asked, the voice as casual as he could muster.

Lavi blinked, the action mirrored by his reflection in the window. He averted his gaze from the rain and focused it on Tyki, tilting his head slightly sideways. “I’m majoring in History, and I take lots of side courses, mostly in languages,” he said with a small, tight smile.

“Is it interesting?” Tyki asked, raising his eyebrow to emphasize the attentiveness. He couldn’t say that he found the subject too appealing but held his tongue.

Lavi hummed positively. “I find it fascinating,” he said with a fond voice. “But I guess you need to really like it to choose it as your major.” He burrowed his jaw into the scarf tied around his neck, looking rather cute with his cheeks slightly puffed and his pink nose just barely sticking out. Still, he had moved his gaze to his hands, and Tyki couldn’t see the shape of his mouth. A few minutes passed, and it became evident that the silence between them had returned.

Tyki grimaced mentally.

Lavi started to play with the ends of his scarf, and Tyki kept thinking of another entry-level question—as if the first one hadn’t been challenging enough. He wasn’t usually this bad with his words, and he couldn’t understand why it was so difficult to start the conversation with his nephew. For god’s sake, they had been doing just fine at the party!

Why was it suddenly so bothersome again?

It was Lavi who surprised him by continuing the conversation. “How about you? How was your school?” he asked as he continued fidgeting with his scarf before adding, “I can only imagine how difficult studying medicine is.”

Tyki found himself smiling before the words came to him. “Well, it certainly wasn’t for slackers,” he noted proudly. “Never been a model student, but it was either that or failing those numerous exams and tests. You wouldn’t believe how complicated a thing the human body is until you get to study it day and night.” Lavi’s eyebrows rose to his hairline and he started shaking, but Tyki just continued talking about his school and studying in general. Like any medical student who had managed to get through the difficult phase, Tyki was proud of his accomplishment and couldn’t wait to get to put his new skills to use. He had been interested in medicine and doctors as long as he could remember; it was one of those few things he felt really passionate about.

Tyki felt a thankful flutter in his chest. Who would have thought that someone like him could become a real doctor? Certainly not his high school teachers and old acquaintances. “Well, I basically had to buckle down and quit pulling the shit I used to,” he said in a soft tone, talking to himself more than to Lavi.

Lavi, biting into his finger, hummed to show that he had been listening. He had pulled his chin out of his scarf, and he looked at Tyki like he was telling him an unbelievable story. He coughed into his hand.

“How is it to be back home?” Lavi asked with a cheerful voice, trying to mask it with slightly politer tone. “Dad was so excited to hear that you were returning. He planned that party for weeks.”

Tyki let out a half-laugh, half-cough. “Pfft. I could be gone for a piss, and Sheril would already have started planning my ‘coming back from the toilet’ party,” he said with a snort and heard Lavi giggle at his right. The positive feedback from his nephew was like honey to a bear, and a new kind of smile found its way on Tyki’s face. He was thankful for having such an amazing family, his nephew included. “It’s good to be back. I missed you guys, and even that silly brother of mine.”

Well, he hadn’t exactly missed Lavi but...

“But what I could really live without are those damn parties!” Tyki exclaimed dramatically. “It was almost impossible to get a smoke, and I was bored to death by Sheril’s acquaintances and those leech-like opportunists!” The rant went on and on, and Tyki was relieved to be able to share his pain with a person who understood it. Lavi wasn’t the biggest fan of his father’s hobby either, and the boy agreed with everything that Tyki said. Relaxed, Tyki laughed and winked at his nephew before opening his mouth again, saying the first thing that came to his mind.

“But hey, at least we two had a nice chat!”

The voice died in Tyki’s throat as soon as those words had left his mouth. He stole a quick peek at Lavi’s puzzled face before his eyes were forced back to the road.

He hadn’t meant to say that! It was true, but...

“We did,” Lavi’s voice suddenly agreed. Surprised, Tyki defied the danger of the traffic to take in the look that had settled over his nephew. Lavi was smiling warmly, no sign of worry or discomfort hidden in his beautiful features. Tyki felt like an invisible noose had just left his neck.

Thankfully, they made it out of traffic and to their destination without any more accidents. Tyki pulled as close to the university’s main entrance as possible; it was still pouring cats and dogs, and he didn’t want Lavi getting too wet. Lavi made sure his bag was in perfect condition before he gave Tyki a mock-salute and beamed.

“You are a life-saver! Thank you for helping me out again!”

Just as he was about to open the door and rush to the safety of the shelter, he turned back to Tyki and shouted, “See you later today!” Tyki didn’t have time to answer before Lavi pushed the door open and jumped outside, sinking his feet into the large puddles that were eager to swallow him. He took off, and the last thing Tyki saw was that red scarf that once again slithered after him.

Tyki breathed in and out and kept staring at the rain painting the car’s windows into a blurry mess. Lavi was gone, but some of his positive aura was still lingering. Tyki didn’t really want to let the moment go just yet, so he kept basking in it and repeating their conversation in his head. The way Lavi’s mood had suddenly improved by that silly little slip made him happy, and he was in no rush to sign those hospital papers.

Tyki hadn’t really meant to admit that he had enjoyed his earlier conversation with Lavi—but he was glad that he had. It was as if he had managed to reach the true Lavi again.

Sure, he had been exchanging words with Lavi during the past days, but that had been different. Totally different. Today had been better, and Tyki had managed to start a conversation and learn more about—

Tyki felt his smile slip away. He slammed his forehead on the car’s horn, making a honk so long and loud that it rang in his ears.

He had managed to talk to Lavi, sure. But what had he really found about his nephew? His fucking Major! Otherwise it had been all about Tyki, Tyki and Tyki. It hadn’t been a real conversation at all! It had been mostly Tyki talking and Lavi nodding quietly.

To be honest, Tyki had  _ started _ the discussion. But Lavi… Lavi had directed it back at him. And while Lavi had looked honestly interested about Tyki’s answers, Tyki now felt even more hollow than when Lavi had left the party.

Had… Had Lavi just tried to keep Tyki comfortable? Talk about the things that Tyki liked? Tyki knew the best way to keep someone comfortable was to make them talk about themselves, a subject they knew the most about.  _ Just like Lavi had done to that pig. _

What that implicated… Did Lavi still not want to have anything to do with him?

A mental raincloud had found its way inside the car, and Tyki felt like he being pissed on by his own negative thoughts, until the way Lavi had said “see you later today” returned to his mind. That smile, those gestures—that kind of warmness couldn’t be faked.

Tyki shook his head and grabbed the wheel stubbornly. Whatever wall had existed between him and Lavi had melted again, for sure. The Lavi he had offered the ride to hadn’t been the Lavi who had jumped out of the car.

Tyki started the engine and returned to the road. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it up, not caring if Sheril and his hound’s nose would detect the smell later. He would go to the hospital, get those papers done and clear his head in the process. He would see Lavi later and talk to him again—it was as simple as that. The next time Lavi would surely be more open, and they could skip the awkward part.

Tyki was now more pissed at his own paranoia.

Why would he get upset at the thought of Lavi not wanting to have anything to do with him, anyway?

 

\----------------------------

 

The night sky was clear and cloudless. The rain had stopped somewhere around the midday, and even the sun had woken up and dropped in the view. It had been much warmer when Tyki had returned from the hospital, and the rest of his day had gone by looking through all kinds of medical articles and books. He was supposed to start his internship the very next day—and that was finally starting to sink in.

Tyki hadn’t even remembered to check on Lavi when he arrived from the school.

Instead, he had gone to bed early, intending to get a good night’s rest before his first day at work. Unfortunately, he was having difficulties falling asleep as his mind kept spinning over the things concerning his internship. He was excited and, to his irritation, a little scared. Skittish feelings strange for him, and he didn’t like the emotional discomfort they caused.

He felt like a kid again, and he hated it. He liked being confident or indifferent. That was how he worked and got by.

Tyki Mikk was an adult man, and  _ did not stress about starting in a new place _ .

It wasn’t a surprise that he found himself outside, staring at the starry sky. The garden looked very inviting compared to his own room, and Tyki decided to take a better look at it before trying to fall asleep again. He couldn’t exactly roam around the house at this late without waking up someone else, and he needed to do something with his legs. And smoke.

When Sheril had ordered Lavi to take Tyki for a walk around the garden, Tyki hadn’t really been in a mood to pay much attention to its renovations. Now it was a perfect way to pass time and get his thoughts in order—and it wasn’t like Tyki wasn’t interested in it otherwise. He looked around and examined a few rose bushes which hadn’t been around when he had visited the mansion last time. They were large and healthy, just like every other plant in the garden. Tiedoll’s touch sure hadn’t weakened within years; the old gardener knew how to take care of things and make them look stunning at the same time. The large angel statue nearby was also his handiwork.

Compared to their parents or Tyki, Sheril was stricter when it came to the gardening business. Nothing was to look out of place. It was as if everything, up to the smallest leaf, was deliberately chosen by him. The garden was full of different colours and shapes which always worked together in harmony, even when it was late in the autumn and some of the flowers were already past their prime. Tyki could only tell a few types of flowers by their actual names, but that didn’t matter. Even if he owned half of the property, he was glad to leave the decisions concerning the garden to Sheril.

He walked below the apple trees and thought how he had ran through these very same pathways when he had been a kid. Back then, the delicious fruits hanging on the branches had seemed so far away—now he could just grab one and pull it out with no effort. The sweet, sourish taste was tempting, but Tyki had already eaten supper. He really wasn’t a kid anymore and could control such basic urges.

Still, there was one thing that he was really curious about—the koi fish. They had been around longer than Tyki himself, and, ever since he was a kid, he had enjoyed coming into the garden to watch them splash in the water. Tyki had been able to watch them for hours, and Sheril always loved to remind him how he had tried to eat one of them. It was something that Tyki himself had no memory of, whatsoever. Tyki wanted to check how the fish were doing.

There was just one problem—the pond containing the koi was located behind a high hedge maze. Now, that wouldn’t have been much of a problem had Tyki just returned to the mansion’s backdoors and followed a straight path leading to the pond instead of trying to skip through the labyrinth. However, Tyki didn’t feel like backtracking his steps since he was out to see the garden, and he hopped right into the madness.

He should have known.

He should have known that Sheril would have changed its design too!

Tyki was not familiar with the new layout. He couldn’t see over the bushes. He couldn’t find the exit. He couldn’t even find the damn entrance. He was walking in circles, and it pissed him off. He passed the same ugly garden gnome a third time.

Why on earth had his brother thought that it was good idea to have a maze where someone could actually get lost?

Tyki growled aloud and chewed on his cigarette. All he had wanted to do was to find the damn koi pond, not get lost in this well laid trap!  _ At least it’s effective against burglars if someone happened to stray here _ , he thought to himself bitterly while kicking the nearby bush.

Was that the same fucking garden gnome he had passed again?

Tyki kept trying to make sense of the maze, but it was way too late, and he didn’t have a patience for it. Every time he thought he had finally found some exit, it was revealed as a dead end or another damn statue. As if anyone would come to see those shits if they were hidden in this pseudo-forest!

Tyki sighed angrily and put his hand on the wall; if he didn’t remove it, he was guaranteed to find some way out, eventually. He felt stupid as fuck, but he was at his wits end.

He followed the wall for a few turns—and there was that same fucking garden gnome again, grinning its shit-eating grin for the seventh fucking time!

Tyki lost it.

He picked up the black-clothed garden gnome, shattering it to pieces against the stones on the ground. Whatever was left of that pointy-hatted piece of shit was stuck upside-down on the closest bush as Tyki started forcing himself through.

Fuck the consequences! He needed to get out of there! _ Now _ !

Tyki covered his face with his sleeves as he pushed himself through the thick wall of bushes, trying to protect his skin from the devious thorns. It took him a minute to get through one single bush, but, to his relief, it seemed to have been from the outer wall. Staring at the wide, empty space all around him, Tyki leaned his head backwards and yelled in relief, having managed to escape the vicious jungle.

By the time Tyki managed to free himself from all the thin, but freakishly strong, branches he looked like a savage. His black hair was a messed-up explosion of strands, sticks, and leaves, leaving even Sadako’s to shade. His thin-clothed top had small cuts all over it, and his skin was red and irritated where the thorns had managed to breach the fabric.  _ Fuck this, never going near that death trap again _ , Tyki cursed when he brushed off dirt and leaves from his clothes. With some smoothing and combing he looked a little less like Tarzan, but was still far from passing as a civilized human. Thank god no one was around to see him because they, sure as hell, wouldn’t have recognized him.

Sighing heavily, Tyki looked around—and was positively surprised. Before him was a small white gate, surrounded by a wall of old climbing bushes. The koi pond was located a little past that gate, and Tyki felt relieved. He actually recognized this place!

With a satisfied hum, Tyki rubbed his dirty hands together as he made his way to the gate. It’d be a shame to return to the mansion without checking out the fish now. It had been his original plan, and after all that suffering Tyki felt more than deserving of the prize as he pushed the gate doors open.

The pond was large, about the size of the house. Its water was calm from to the lack of the wind, and packs of reed grew by its sides. Ducks were sleeping near them, heads tucked under their wings. Few dragonflies were spurting through the air, and the recognizable sound of mosquitos could be heard everywhere. A little further by the pond was a small gazebo next to a large stone arrangement, forming a small waterfall-like stream.

Small lamps had been placed by the edges of the pond. Tyki moved closer and peered down at the illuminated water—it was as black as tar, but the lamps and the moonlight made anything lighter pop out. Tyki heard a small splash and tensed from excitement. A large, bright red and white koi swam right past him.

Tyki’s eyes followed the fish like a cat’s. It moved lazily, probably well-fed and about to have a rest. It disappeared to the darker side of the pond, only to swim back to the place where Tyki had first spotted it. It wasn’t the only fish in the pond, and soon Tyki started noticing other koi swimming around.

Tyki crouched down and stared at the fish, eyes half-lidded. There was something hypnotic and calming about them, though Tyki couldn’t quite explain what it was.

They just swam. And spun around. And swam.

They never got bored of their routine—and neither did Tyki.

One of the fish raised its speed, catching Tyki’s attention. It looked like it was giving him a show, driving its colourful body around the pond as if it was a race car. It scared off the other fish, claiming the pond as its own personal stage. Tyki chuckled; he liked that little creature immediately.

The fish kept speeding up and making dramatical turns—then stopped suddenly. Tyki wondered what came to it, but it launched itself forward again, preparing for the grand finale. The fish’s body broke the surface as it catapulted itself high in the air, splattering water outside the pond’s boundaries. The cold drops wetted Tyki’s skin and clothes, as if the rain had started again, but he couldn’t turn his eyes away from the carp. The fish’s scarlet scales glittered in the moonlight as its body turned around, slowly tilting downwards. It gave Tyki a small wave with its fin before falling back into the pond with another splash. Tyki’s gaze was about to follow it, but something red had stayed in the air, as if half of the fish hadn’t been able to keep up with the escapade. Tyki blinked his eyes twice and squinted, having difficulties seeing through the newest shower; only when most of the water had come down, the silhouette of that red thing became clearer.

It didn’t have anything to do with the fish.

No matter how dark, Tyki would have recognized that vivid red anywhere; Lavi was sitting on a bench on the other side of the pond, his hair a candle in the night.

He was wearing a white t-shirt and pants, a grey blanket wrapped around his shoulders to protect him from the cold. He sat with a laid-back slouch, his legs thrown in front of him lazily, and his weight was put on his arm leaning against the armrest. It was difficult to make sense of the details, but his head was turned sideways so it was likely that he hadn’t seen Tyki.

Keeping his gaze on Lavi’s unmoving form, Tyki stood up slowly. As if being pulled forward by a magnet, he started making his way towards his nephew, wondering what the other one was doing out so late at the night. He stopped momentarily when he got close enough to see better, holding his breath unconsciously.

He couldn’t recall ever seeing Lavi looking so relaxed and serene. His breath was light and his eye almost closed, a peaceful expression decorating his face. His frame was anything but straight and proper, his spine and limbs bending into curves and bumps, making him look like one of the sculptures. He was dozing slightly, his body swaying in the rhythm of his breaths, and his feet fidgeted from time to time, giving his conscious a kick whenever it was about to get lost. There was something adorable and captivating about the sight.

Tyki dared to inhale more air. The ride from the morning crept into his mind, and he shifted on his feet uncomfortably. This was the second time he was crossing his nephew’s path today, and it was a chance to talk to him again.

But it was quite late, and...

Tyki didn’t register having taken more steps until he heard a loud “crunch” from below. He froze on his spot, a broken branch creeping away from under his foot. He felt his heart starting to climb up his throat as Lavi’s head stopped moving and snapped into his direction.

Fuuuuuuuck...

Tyki broke his silence the moment Lavi’s eye started widening. “Sorry! Didn’t mean to scare you!” he shouted with a panicky voice and raised his hands above his head, hoping that Lavi wouldn’t run away screaming. Lavi, tense as arrow and ready to take off from the slightest movement, stared at him for a full minute before the realization hit him.

“Tyki?” Lavi asked with disbelief in his voice. His eyebrows trembled and twisted, trying to settle into an expression, and his hands made random pointing gestures. “What on earth happened to you?”

Tyki took a quick look at himself and groaned, remembering his disastrous appearance. His hand moved to scratch the back of his head, and he offered Lavi a crooked grin as an apology. “Ehem. You could say that I tried a shortcut through the bushes.”

Lavi, still not fully over his shock, laughed nervously, and Tyki mimicked him. It didn’t last long, and Tyki held in a sigh. He felt a need to explain why he was here in the first place; Lavi hadn’t picked up on the humour the way he had hoped.

“I came here to watch the fish, actually,” he said and walked closer to the water. Lavi was now sitting on his knees on the bench, hands clenching the backrest. Tyki eyed the empty side of the bench before asking, “It’s not wet anymore? Mind if I sit beside you for a while?”

“Sure,” Lavi said and slid further to his end, offering Tyki a small, bashful smile. It looked forced, and Tyki hoped that the recent scare was to blame for that—rather than something else.

Tyki sat down on the offered space with a quick “thanks” and watched the pond quietly, letting the chilly breeze play with his unbound hair as the silence once again descended upon them. Nervous, Tyki pulled out a new cigarette and lit it up.

Was it going to be like this again? Why did it feel like he was walking on hot coals, and Lavi was a being made of ice, ready to melt and disappear from the slightest misstep?

Maybe it wasn’t what Tyki thought it was. Maybe Lavi was just tired, still sorting out his thoughts. Or just enjoying the quiet night before the bed. After all, he had been half-asleep just a moment ago—and dead tired in the morning.

Tyki realized that he had been quite rude, just pushing himself into Lavi’s company without taking Lavi’s mood into consideration. Tyki lowered his cigarette and cleared up his throat. “Do you mind if I smoke?” he asked, trying to fix things. To his relief, Lavi didn’t sound like he had anything against smoking when he gave Tyki a permission to continue. Tyki hummed happily and set the cigarette back into his lips. “You wouldn’t happen to smoke too, do you?” he asked, rotating a half empty package in his hand and offering it to Lavi. With Sheril as his father, Tyki was sure that Lavi wasn’t allowed anywhere near cigarettes, but it would have been rude to not offer one for a fellow man.

Lavi blinked couple of times. He licked his lips and seemingly composed himself as he turned to address Tyki’s inquiry. “No, I do not smoke. But thank you for the offer,” he declined—politely as always.

So. Sickenly. Politely.

Tyki forgot his cigarette. It just hung from his mouth like a thermometer. His hand found its way into his seaweed-like hair, trying once again to comb it—but the only thing it managed to do was find more sticks and leaves.

This wasn’t just Lavi being tired. The wall of ice had returned.

Tyki experienced a feeling which he could only describe as some kind of disappointment, except more intense. He had thought that they’d gotten over this part already! The personality Lavi had showed at the party haunted him; it had been nothing like the Lavi that morning or the Lavi right here! Tyki had thought that he had managed to reach that Lavi again in the car, but apparently the effect hadn’t lasted. They seemed to be in square one again.

Lavi was watching the pond, seemingly lost in his thoughts. He had lifted one of his legs on the bench and pulled it close to his chest, hidden under his blanket.

_ See you later today? _ Yeah, right. Lavi didn’t look like he wanted to be here at all! The serenity was gone.

Tyki leaned back on the bench and let his head drop over the backrest. He didn’t know if he wanted to go through the same play again for the third time. First, it was late, for God’s sake, and he was too tired to play any games. Second, what if this same thing would just keep on repeating over and over again?

Could he even get Lavi to open up anymore? He wasn’t exactly sure how he had managed to do it on previous times—and what was the point if Lavi would just close himself off again? Maybe it would be better if both of them just slept it off. Tyki could just try again later, or maybe Lavi would warm up naturally over time.

But Tyki remembered the redhead he had seen from the balcony. He remembered the fancy, perfect boy talking to Sheril. He remembered the lone green eye, and its brutal fierceness. And getting burned. And the pig. Those nasty words. The laughter. The  _ connection. _

_ “See you later today!” _

The cigarette had long ago dropped from Tyki’s mouth. The fresh night air forced itself in, forced him to breathe, breathe and breathe. To revive. To function. To do what he was trying to give up on doing.

Tyki took a long, meaningful look at Lavi.  _ Fuck the consequences. _

He swallowed his pride and drowned the indifference. “You couldn’t sleep either?” he asked with a soft voice, making sure that he had gotten Lavi’s attention. He would try again—he really wanted to talk to his nephew and learn more about him.

Lavi answered, politely as expected. He must have figured out that Tyki was looking for a conversation because he immediately turned the question back at him, just like he had done in the car—but this time Tyki didn’t fall for it. Instead, he continued by asking about Lavi’s day and school project, to which Lavi kept on answering, surprise evident in his voice. He became less and less stressed as the conversation went on, and a real smile started appearing on those careful lips again.

Tyki learned that Lavi liked to come to this pond sometimes, to clear his thoughts. He learned that his school days weren’t always long, and that, while Lavi was obsessed over history, he pretty much slacked off on other subjects. He learned that, unlike himself, Lavi didn’t usually have problems falling asleep—but he was a vivid dreamer, saying that that he would often continue his work in his dreams, unless he was able to unload somehow.

Tyki also learned that Lavi became like another person when he was talking about something he was passionate about, making wide and fast gestures and talking nineteen to the dozen. He learned that, contradictory to his cynicism and sense of humour, Lavi  _ wanted _ to see things in a positive light and was generally a very liking person.

Tyki also learned that Lavi was a curious creature by nature and really interested in his doctor work; it hadn’t been a mere distraction when he had chosen the topic of Tyki’s studies before. “Isn’t meddling with those top surgeons and doctors going to be overwhelming?” Lavi mused aloud, just as excited as Tyki about the internship starting in ten hours. “They must be expecting a lot from you, you being father’s brother and all.”

Tyki didn’t feel guilty about answering his questions anymore. “I suppose so,” he said in a light tone, humoured by how Lavi’s eye seemed to shine like a camera’s lens whenever he was about to absorb new knowledge. “I’ll have to work hard and prove that I didn’t get this far just because my brother happens to be an important figure.” He felt at ease when Lavi nodded understandingly and opened his mouth again.

“Yeah, I know that feeling. It makes me feel like I have to work twice as hard to earn people’s respect,” Lavi said, participating in the conversation. “I have to beat the image they have about ‘Minister Kamelot’s son’ and become something better.” The way he grinned revealed that he wasn’t complaining in the slightest, but Tyki felt an evil pinch somewhere in his heart muscles.

Lavi was supposed to be fine just as he was, right?

Tyki clicked his tongue a few times, holding back the urge to pet and ruffle his nephew’s hair. God it looked so soft and touchable. “You don’t have to prove yourself for anyone, you know?” he said a little more seriously. “You seem like a great guy, and if they can’t see that then there must be something wrong with them. I’d say they do not deserve your time.” The baffled look he got from Lavi was priceless—Tyki could swear that he had never seen anyone looking so shut-down. He would have laughed, had the pinching near his heart not intensified.

What the hell was the sudden bad feeling?

Oh. OH. Shit.

“Well, at least you only have that ‘son’ image to beat,” Tyki said after his own words started to sink in. Because unlike Lavi, who was pretty much a perfect son, brother, student, and whatever, being Sheril’s brother sure as hell wasn’t the only reason Tyki needed to prove himself.

The garden had suddenly turned cold, reminding its visitors that today’s rains would continue appearing in increasing amounts. The autumn and the warm, summerish memories weren’t going to last forever, just as Tyki and Lavi couldn’t sit outside for much longer and play this get-to-know game, pretending they hadn’t existed before these days. Winter was coming, and Tyki wished he had Lavi’s blanket or something that could warm him since his own jacket felt next-to useless.

His throat felt like it was being scratched, the words at the tip of his tongue too heavy and raw. They were like raw onions, threatening to be pulled from the ground before they had fully matured. Tyki turned his head in Lavi’s direction, slowly, properly taking in his pumpkin-haired nephew’s unmasked form. He finally saw the storm, the storm which was present in those slightly curving fingers, increasing breaths and tensing shoulders. And that eyelid, which batted slightly with its carrot-coloured eyelashes, crawling over that harvest green eye, threatening to ruin the process they had made.

And Tyki knew what he had to say, even if those words were more mature than his current ability to understand.

“I was gone for seven years… but in retrospect, it feels like it was only yesterday that I left.” He wanted to ruffle, pet, or touch Lavi—anything to help getting this message through. But Tyki knew he had no right to do that; there were certain things that needed to be admitted with words first and actions second. So Tyki forced his hands on his lap, hoping they wouldn’t shake, and continued, “I can only imagine how much has happened in your life as well.” He felt Lavi moving by his side, his averted gaze back on him, and he opened the can of worms. “We didn’t really manage to catch up at that party, did we?”

Tyki could hear Lavi swallowing air and shifting his weight around. He could almost hear his muscles overworking as Lavi tried to dismiss the issue, to keep it nice and comfortable. “Y-yeah. But we will probably catch up at some point,” the boy lied, worse than a child. “Little by little, without father’s help...” Whatever he was trying to say after that died in his throat, a part of him refusing to brush it off.

Tyki wanted to light a cigarette, take a long drag of it and clean his brain from everything, but he held back. The addiction to the indifference was even worse, but he forced that away too. There was something he should have done much, much earlier, way before escaping to a foreign land and starting his life again. He couldn’t understand why he hadn’t done it before, and he knew he’d be worse than the Pig if he for some reason refused to do it now.

“Lavi,” he said, tasting the name on the tip of his tongue, realizing how easy saying it was, and would have been. He looked up to make sure his nephew had that glint in his lens-like eye before continuing.

“I owe you an apology.”

The sentence was quiet, just loud enough to be heard in the silent night. The carp in the pond had strangely stopped splashing, and the nearby bushes kept their branches and leaves perfectly still. Even the grass below the bench seemed to have frozen in time, not daring to make a sound. It was as if the whole garden was listening to the confession, holding its breath like it was watching a movie.

The two men sitting on the bench were sizing each other up, the eye-contact between them unwavering. The other one had lifted his eyebrows and pulled his head backwards, seemingly struck by the other’s words. The other one was smiling a tired, ashamed smile.

“I’ve been a dick to you for years. You didn’t deserve it.”

 

Lavi didn’t want to believe it. He couldn’t. Except that he had to. Because everything was so horribly quiet, there was no mistake that he had heard right.

It wasn’t right, was it? It’d been seven years—and even more when he had stopped expecting an apology.

“I know you didn’t ask to become a part of this family,” Tyki continued. “And I am still trying to figure out what made me so reluctant to view you as a part of it… I am truly sorry for that.”

Was he, now? How could he be? He said he didn’t even know why he had been like that, and yet he claimed that he was sorry? How COULD he be?

Lavi’s heart was beating in his chest painfully, but he refused to take his eye off Tyki. He needed to see  _ it _ in his face. He couldn’t believe it—thinking that this man could have been sincere was surely a fool’s hope, but he kept his gaze on Tyki, just in case.  _ It _ couldn’t be enough. Even seeing  _ it _ on Tyki’s face couldn’t be enough. But still. Lavi’s heart was beating faster and faster, and he felt slightly faint, almost feverish.

Something was tugging at the corners of his mouth, and Lavi felt himself smiling, against his will. Why? This surely wasn’t how he wanted it to be! He didn’t want to accept a half-assed apology over something that had cost him a part of his childhood and his sanity! Still, that damn heart of his was beating faster and pulling at his veins and muscles, like a child trying to coach its parent into buying it a toy.

Did he not want it? Did he not want this silent war to stop? A warm feeling shot into him, and that stupid smile must have just grown. There was something in his eye that felt like was tearing, except it wasn’t. He opened his mouth to let some of that warm steam off, but few words slipped out, and Lavi felt like he had just lost half of his weight.

“Thank you.” That’s what he had said. In the most pathetic and thankful voice. The warm steam kept pouring out, and the ice inside of Lavi starting melting, again.

He didn’t want to bear a grudge towards Tyki. He didn’t want to be mean or ignorant towards him. He had never hated his uncle. He had wanted to learn to know him, too, especially after that party a few days ago. Tyki had helped him out of his own volition and talked to him person to person, which Lavi really appreciated.

He just… he just hadn’t been able to understand. No matter how much fun he had had, he still had to remind himself that this was the same person who had given him hard time in the past. There was the underlying feeling that something would go wrong, or it would turn out be one cruel misunderstanding. He could anger or bore Tyki and ruin everything—his promise to his father along with his own wishes.

That’s why he would always go back to being careful, go back to being someone who you could hardly get frustrated at. He couldn’t trust his own judgment, or how things had seemed last time, since he never knew when something would go off. If there was a chance that the past could repeat itself, Lavi wanted to be as prepared for that as possible.

But now Tyki had said that he was sorry. He had picked up the uncomfortable subject by himself. He had swallowed his pride and validated Lavi’s experiences, his whole being. Their past and their present.

It changed… everything.

Lavi released the leg he had used to create a wall, and it fell next to its pair, swinging under the empty space below the bench. He put his hands by his sides and pushed his frame forward, bouncing off the seat like spring. His feet refused to stay put for another minute, and he jumped closer to the pond, feeling like he would start flying if he didn’t control himself. He needed air, fresh, colder air to keep his insides from bursting! His whole body shook as the cold and warm clashed, and he would have coughed had the feeling not been so liberating. Using only the toes of one feet, he spun around, hands claped behind his back. His face was ridiculously hot, but not from shame or embarrassment, and he let out a laugh so free and relieved that it surprised even himself.

It was going to be okay; he didn’t have to pretend anymore.

Tyki had been watching him the whole time, his smile looped and funny-looking on his longer face, framed by that ridiculous tangled mess. Lavi swore that he saw ladybirds in his hair—fucking ladybirds!—and he looked like a whole different human again, even without his ragged look. Tyki was about to say something when his expression suddenly faltered, and he raised his hand and pointed towards Lavi.

“Your eye… are you crying?”

Lavi blinked and rubbed at his eye with the back of his hand. He sure felt emotional, but he was sure that had been able to hold in the tears. His hand came back dry, and he felt utterly confused until he remembered his other eye. “Oh,” he said as he travelled his cheek with his fingers, stopping at the hem of his eyepatch, which had become wet.

Geez. Well, nothing he could do about that now, except brush of the tears and hope they wouldn’t keep coming forever.

Tyki’s eyes were on him the whole time, and it wasn’t long before the older man said, “May I ask you about your eyepatch?” It wasn’t a demand, but Tyki still softened it down with, “I know it’s a personal question, and as your uncle I should probably already know about it. But it’s been bothering me ever since I saw you again.” His tall, swan-like head turned aside, hiding the uncertainty which had managed to slip into his voice. “Might just be a doctor thing… you do not have to share if it is uncomfortable.”

Was he… worried? Curious or worried? Did it matter?

Lavi fiddled with the edge of his eyepatch and considered his options. He felt the familiar urge to pull back and retire to his tortoise’s shell, but Tyki’s apology wouldn’t meant anything if he did that. Of course, he could just decline to answer to the question, but that would be silly since there really wasn’t any big or complicated story behind the piece of cloth.

Hadn’t he wanted to let go of the past? Maybe it wouldn’t be bad to open up, show himself that he was able to move on. Tyki had already taken an unimaginable step, so shouldn’t Lavi offer him something in return, to show that he too was serious about this?

Lavi didn’t answer vocally. Instead, he brought his hands behind his head and untied the eyepatch. The cloth, which fell off from his face, was left swinging in his hand by a loose string. Tyki was watching him intently, and Lavi smiled as he opened the now freed eyelid.

There really was nothing out of place looking in this eye. Well, its colour was little off compared its pair, and it must have looked more blue than turquoise in the intensified moonlight. Tyki could probably see few of the small, fishline thin scars around the eye, only because the same light made them pop out of Lavi’s skin.

“It’s not like I can’t use this eye at all,” Lavi said as he let his eye get used to the surrounding lights. He brought his hand closer and traced some of those minuscular scars, careful not to touch the tender cornea. There was nothing wrong with the eye itself—the reason he had to wear the eyepatch was the area around it.

“At some point of my childhood, I experienced a severe Bell’s Palsy.” Lavi watched as the recognition flashed through Tyki’s face, and he was happy that he didn’t have to explain the details about the one-sided facial paralysis to the young doctor. “As you know, it’s not really a dangerous condition, and my face has mostly healed. The only exception are the muscles of my right eye.” He tried blinking, but only the lid of his healthy eye went fully down. “I can move my eyeball and see just fine, but my right eyelid refuses to go down by itself. I wear a patch so that the eye wouldn’t dry or get dirty.”

“Can’t it be fixed?” Tyki asked carefully. Lavi shook his head.

“They tried, a couple of times. They were able to return some of the lid’s movement, thanks to which I can now narrow both of my eyes. But it is enough. I can see and roam inside the buildings just fine, even without protection.” A small, mischievous smile crept on Lavi’s face as he spun the eyepatch around his finger like a propel. “Plus, I’m kind of attached to this thing. Some girls dig it... and even some guys.”

“Well, I can see why,” Tyki said before shaking his head as if he had suddenly gotten a bug in his ear. With that long hair of his, he reminded Lavi of a horse. “I mean, I see why you would like using it,” Tyki corrected when he stopped beating himself up over that silly slip.

Lavi laughed at him without a shame. The relief that he hadn’t been wrong about these new encounters was starting to sink in, and he couldn’t erase the bubbly hope it sparked inside him. He was looking forward to discovering more sides of his uncle and having a new person in his life. Still, he didn’t dare to think that they could become anything more than two members of the same family. It was better to not get too carried away with these things.

As his pocket started vibrating, Lavi pulled out his phone. His nap alarm warned that it was already 1am, and he would suffer horribly if he didn’t get his ass in bed as soon as possible. Fiddling with the screen, Lavi sighed and said, “Guess it’s time I started heading back.” The phone returned to his pocket, and Lavi organized his shoulders under the blanket before starting to drag himself towards the mansion. However, he stopped by the bench and eyed Tyki for a moment.

Lavi sucked at his lower lip before making up his mind. A smile crept to his face as he extended his hand towards Tyki. “Would you like to walk together?” he asked, nothing but sincerity and friendliness radiating from the gesture. His frame cast a shadow over Tyki, and the man blinked, as if blinded by the almost white moonlight burning his edges. Tyki’s mouth slipped agape, and he looked like one of those kois on the dry land, all the air suddenly stolen from him. His hand twitched upwards, having already made up its mind, and a moment later Tyki’s face caught up, returning Lavi’s smile.

“That would be my pleasure,” Tyki said warmly as he grabbed Lavi’s hand, letting himself to be pulled up. This time he didn’t hesitate to close the gap between them.

The night had become less dark, even if it was still a good few hours until the sunrise. Whether it was thanks to their brightened up moods or the actual moon shining brighter, Tyki and Lavi only paid attention to the possibilities they could now see ahead. Walking side by side towards their shared home, they knew they wouldn’t need to make up any more excuses to remain in each other’s company. They could start rebuilding their relationship, and hopefully it would grow into something beautiful and healthier than in the past.

However, even in their wildest dreams, neither of them could imagine a certain direction their relationship would soon start growing into—slithering under their innocent curiosity like a snake into the paradise.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You survived? Good! Hope you tell us if you liked it or not.
> 
> Next time our heroes are going to continue getting to know each other. Tyki, however, finds certain feelings rather confusing. Humanity will also experience a great loss.


	3. Playing Uncles and Nephews

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with another chapter of this questionable story. This one should probably get a comedy warning; it's a very Tyki centered chapter, and while his relationship with Lavi develops, it also opens up the world of this AU as well as the everyday life of our idiots. The plot does sneak forward.  
> ~Una
> 
> I guess you guys are stuck with us for the long run.  
> ~Kash
> 
> Again, special thanks for our friend, teacher, and beta [KittyBandit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyBandit).

On that day, mankind received a grim reminder—everything beautiful will come to an end, just like the tale of Tyki Mikk’s gorgeous locks.

Tyki massaged his aching temples, sure that his head was going to burst like a balloon. The hysterical screaming hit his eardrums like bass drums, and he was afraid his brains would turn into mush and drip to the floor.

“No, no, NO! How dare you even think about that!”

“You are a monster! Enemy of beauty and mankind! Shame on you!”

Tyki wanted to cry. Being attacked by rabid dogs would have been more merciful than this. He hadn’t meant for his niece and brother to find out until the operation haircut had been over, but Lady Luck had given him the finger. He was now standing in a corner like a naughty child, Road and Sheril blocking his way like bouncers. Their crooked fingers were like beast’s claws, making worrisome moves in his direction as they slashed their hands around. Tyki’s phone was beeping desperately in Sheril’s hold, being in the danger of becoming a former phone if it happened to get smashed against the wall.

It would have deserved that, as it was the reason Tyki was now in this mess.

Tyki hadn’t really wanted to cut his hair. He liked it long just fine. However, it had started to become rather inconvenient in his work. It was always in the way, blocking his vision if he as much as tilted his head. Tying it in a ponytail was a temporary solution at best since most of it would find a way to escape the captivity—and what was left refused to come undone. It weighed so much it made his shoulders hurt, also causing him to sweat—oh, God, how it made him sweat! Those bouffant hats he wore made his scalp area an oven, and even they couldn’t keep his hair in check. When it had torn open his third hat, his supervisor had suggested “trimming” it.

There was no way around it, really. If Tyki wanted to focus on learning and sleep in the morning, his mane had to go.

He had reserved an appointment for a barber for Saturday afternoon, sleeping over it accidentally. After a tiring week, an impromptu nap had sounded like a good idea, if only he had actually remembered to set an alarm. Missing the appointment wouldn’t have been that dangerous if he hadn’t received a text about it—and if his brother hadn’t been too curious for everyone’s sake.

“You can’t just read my messages, damn it!” Tyki shouted and snatched his phone back from Sheril’s hawk-like grab. “Doesn’t right to privacy exist in this house?”

“Not when it concerns national security,” Sheril muttered and eyed Tyki’s hair possessively. Had Tyki not known him, he could have thought that he was referring to something serious. But no. In Sheril’s messed-up little world, Tyki losing even an inch of hair was probably equal to a massacre. As if a hysteric Sheril alone hadn’t been bad enough, his yelling had summoned Road to his aid—and that’s what Tyki was _really_ afraid of. His demonic niece knew where to aim and how to hit, and this time she might not be satisfied with Tyki’s ankle.

“I don’t want you to cut it!” Road roared and made herself as tall as possible—which wasn’t much, but that didn’t make her any less scary. Her fists were raised in the air and her toes scratched against the floor, ready to stab themselves into Tyki. He winced at the thought and crossed his legs, just in case.

“Look, you are both making a mountain out of a molehill,” Tyki said with a frown. “Yes, I made an appointment. And yes, it was to cut my hair. It can’t be helped, it’s for the work.” He crossed his arms over his chest and rested his head on his hand, hoping they would get the message. And they did stop the yelling, at least—it was time for the tears.

Sheril started wailing with a flood in his eyes. “B-but, Tyki! Your hair is so gorgeous! So stunning! It’s truly one of its kind!” He crossed his hands over his heart and breathed exaggeratedly, as if he had trouble staying up. “I think I could live without few centimetres…  but any more than that, I’m not sure if my health could take it.”

_Fucking drama queen_ , Tyki thought as he gave his brother a dark look. “Few centimetres ain’t gonna cut it this time. It’s only hair, it grows. Get over it, you old fool.”

“Tykiii…” Road’s voice whined from closer, and Tyki felt a tug on his hair.

Oh, no! She had sunk her fingers in it.

Tyki dared to move his gaze, only to be met with Road’s teary puppy eyes. “Please, don’t cut it… ” she whimpered, letting out small sobs from her shaky lips. She had gathered his hair between her small hands, looking like a praying angel.

_Merciless little beast._

“Road, stop that,” Tyki ordered, not falling for her crocodile tears. “I used to have short hair all the time. I don’t see why you are making such a fuss over it now.” He stared at his niece demandingly, receiving a frustrated look from her in return.

“Long hair is better. I don’t want you to cut it.”

“Road, please…”

“I DON’T WANT you to cut it!”

The screaming returned, and Tyki felt his brains throb against his skull, demanding to be let out. He tried desperately to untangle himself from this bear trap known as his niece, while his brother accompanied her screeches with his own, intensified crying. It went on for several minutes, and Tyki was starting to see white—this occultic incantation was KO’ing him. It was then he heard a door opening.

“I’m home. What’s the ruckus about?” his saviour asked.

Lavi was standing at the entrance, staring at them with an amused grin. He dropped his bag on the floor and kicked off his shoes, revealing a pair of bright yellow socks. He tilted his head to the side and rested his hand on his hip, his thumb brushing the edge of his white trousers.

Sheril was quick to react to his son’s arrival. “Welcome home, Bunny!” he greeted him with a sunny expression. He then seemed to remember that he was supposed to be upset and turned his slit eyes back to Tyki. “Tyki here wants get rid of his hair. Road and I think it’s a mistake, and he should reconsider before doing something he’ll regret later.”

The diversion was enough for Tyki to get rid of Road’s hands, and he slipped past their wall of defence. He kept one eye on her, but otherwise his attention was on his nephew. Lavi tended to be more reasonable than his other relatives. “It’s pretty much required for the work,” Tyki explained, pulling his messed-up ponytail over his shoulder. “Was gonna get it done today, but missed the appointment.”

“Must be a sign from God,” Sheril suggested, receiving a low growl from Tyki. Lavi moved his eyes between them and scratched the back of his head. He seemed to be holding back a sigh.

“Father... I think Tyki knows what he is doing the best,” Lavi finally said. “He is working in a high hygiene environment, and his hair must be a burden. A health risk even.” His smile softened to his eyes, and he added, “I’m sure he’ll be just as stunning with shorter hair too.”

Tyki blinked, and for a moment he forgot how to breathe. He hadn’t... expected Lavi to describe him like that. It was... unexpected. Yeah. Surprising.

A small “hoo” came from behind him, and Road was by his side faster than a light. Her spikes of hair looked like an imp’s horns when she pressed herself against him. “I know what you could do!” she exclaimed and tried to hide her not-so-innocent grin.

“Lavi could cut your hair.”

Tyki wasn’t perfectly sure what happened next. Words were exchanged and feet shuffled, and he found himself from their common bathroom, seated on a tall stool. His torso was covered with an unused rain cloak, making him look like a large garbage bag. He felt out of place in the pristine white room, hunched in front of a large, wall-long mirror. The face in it stared back at him with an equally lost expression, dark skin and features contrasting against the pale environment.

Sounds of movement made Tyki turn his head, and he spotted Lavi fumbling with the bathroom lock. One of his hands had snapped it into the “locked” position while the other was testing if the handle held. Lavi was humming thoughtfully until the side of his mouth curled up, and he sighed deeply.

“This should keep those two out,” he said and moved towards Tyki, rubbing his hands together. He had lost few layers of clothes, now wearing a peach-coloured t-shirt. His socks slid over the slippery floor with ease, and he stopped beside the sink to pick up something.

_Ah, a pair of scissors_ , Tyki thought by himself. _Of course._

No, wait a minute! Had Sheril actually allowed Lavi to cut his hair?! The thought sounded preposterous. But now that Tyki dug up his memory, he actually remembered his brother sounding somehow excited—well, nervous but excited. As if to make a point, a loudish, “don’t cut too much” echoed from the outside. Road must have used her daughterly skills to change Sheril’s mind... prayers for her future husband.

But why had she come up with this idea in the first place?

“You alright?” Tyki batted his eyes when Lavi’s face entered his line of vision. A warm breath brushed against his nose, and his head twitched backwards. Lavi examined his expression and frowned. “Hey, we don’t have to do this if it makes you uncomfortable. Not sure what came over Road, but she was practically pushing you into this.”

Tyki was able to think clearer when Lavi had moved further away from him. His nephew had turned towards the mirror, brushing his hand through his vibrant hair; it was still wet from the trip outside. Tyki’s gaze descended to his slumped shoulders, from where it followed his other arm until stopping on the scissors. “You know how to cut hair?” he asked mechanically—and felt like an idiot, since he hadn’t meant to sound so dumb.

“Well... yeah. Kinda,” Lavi answered, hesitation evident in his voice. “I don’t have any professional education if you mean something like that... but I do cut people’s hair sometimes.”

Tyki bit his inner cheek. No matter how nice Lavi was, he still didn’t understand why Road and Sheril preferred him to a proper barber. That was until Lavi revealed cutting his own hair on regular basis, and Tyki started to see where they were coming from. Lavi’s red mane might have been wild and rebellious, but it was neatly cut and layered—something Tyki had paid attention to from the start.

“So, how short do you actually want it?” Lavi asked when Tyki had requested him to go on with the operation. In the mirror, Tyki caught his eye for a moment before focusing on his own reflection. He wasn’t quite sure what he wanted. He liked to have some volume and length since really short hair made his head look blocky. Someone had once told him the shape was like Frankenstein’s monster’s, and he never wanted to hear that kind of comment again.

“Mayb—“

“Cut it shoulder length, cut it shoulder length!  Not an inch more!” Road’s voice shouted from behind the door. Lavi rolled his eye and made an ugly face, waving his hand dismissively in its direction.

“Don’t mind them. It’s your hair and your decision.”

Tyki smiled and leaned his head backwards. Lavi’s lax attitude and understanding were like salve to his strained nerves. Being in the same room with just him felt pleasant, and despite the outbursts from the outside, Tyki barely registered his brother and niece’s presence. “A little above the shoulder should be fine,” he said with a hint of humour in his voice.

You couldn’t really go wrong with that.

Lavi nodded to Tyki and positioned himself behind him. Tyki heard a small clank when the scissors were set back on the counter. He held in a gasp, feeling his hair shift as Lavi’s hands entered it. It was pushed down, and his fingers sunk in deeper, combing through the thick curves. The fingers then moved backwards, combing Tyki’s hair into long plaits, examining the nature of his hair. They joined around the root of his ponytail, and the strong thumbs rubbed the tender skin and shorter hairs over his nape. It felt nice. Tyki couldn’t help but let his head drop forward, allowing the fingers to tighten their hold on his ponytail. The long, messy strands were straightened with two good pulls, and the tie around them was gently removed. The released hair fell over his shoulders, returning to the shape it was more comfortable with.   

Tyki heard Lavi let out a whistle. He didn’t have time to comment on it before his nephew’s hands returned to his hair.

His hands moved and spread the hair, dividing it into smaller sections. Tyki saw him reach for the table, and caught a sight of a hairbrush. It moved from top to bottom through the whole length of his hair, making his head bob in rhythm with the combing. The strokes varied in strength and placement, and Tyki closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation.

People loved to play with his hair. His niece’s touch was anything but gentle—it was pulling and greedy, whenever she got a hold of his lush locks. His brother was tenderer with his gestures, but there was something disturbing, almost perverted in the way he fondled his strands.

The way Lavi was touching his hair was different. It was both gentle and firm, settling the knots carefully and adding more pressure only when it didn’t hurt anymore. It was respectful but fearless—it wasn’t playing, it was taking care. It reminded Tyki the way some of his past lovers had touched his hair.

What an odd comparison.

Lavi’s hand reached towards the table again, picking up the scissors. He tested the blades with few, familiarized snaps. “I’m going to start cutting now,” he informed and brushed some of the sorted hair past Tyki’s shoulders, securing it with unnaturally shiny, ornamental clips. “These are father’s, by the way.” Tyki grimaced and shuddered at the thought. Luckily, the disturbing feeling disappeared when Lavi’s hands returned to control, and Tyki could once again enjoy Heaven on Earth.

Sounds of snipping filled the room. Tyki listened carefully the song made by the scissors. He couldn’t see what was happening behind his back, but the small tugs and metal’s whining told him that Lavi had gotten to work. Every now and then Lavi’s hand came to his side and released one of his secured curls, taking it back out of sight. Tufts of black hair kept falling on the floor, forming piles resembling animal carcasses. Tyki felt something similar to anxiety rise inside him. He wasn’t that good at sitting by, and he was still a little worried what his hair would soon look like.

What if he didn’t like it? He probably would, as he wasn’t too picky. As long as it wasn’t too short and his head didn’t look blocky… But Sheril and Road might not like it. And if they didn’t, they’d complain—not only to Tyki but also to Lavi. And what if…

What if Lavi didn’t like how it turned out?

“Oh my god,” Lavi suddenly cried out, and Tyki’s thoughts returned to the present. He raised his head and searched Lavi’s reflection from the mirror, getting greeted by a looped grin. Lavi was snickering like a small monkey, and he petted the side of Tyki’s head. “You look absolutely ridiculous like this,” he snorted, revealing an uneven bush of hair from under his hand. Tyki stared at his mismatched reflection, breath frozen in his throat. Panic was starting to bubble inside him, but Lavi rubbed his shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry, I’m going fix the other side. Just wanted to ask if the length was fine.” In order to help Tyki to see the difference, he covered his uncut side with his free hand.

Tyki’s eyes scanned the new view, and he let out a sigh of relief. Strangely, the previous abomination looked rather decent now that it didn’t make him look like a one-eared Saluki. There was still plenty of hair left by the shorter side, and when mirrored to the other, the image in his head looked pretty neat. “It’ll do.” His eyes travelled back to Lavi’s stupid grin, and he felt like pinching his cheeks. “You little,” he said with a faked annoyance. “You almost gave me a heart attack!”

“Pfft.” Lavi laughed mischievously. “Don’t you want me to leave it like this?” His teasing tone made Tyki roll his eyes, but he couldn’t prevent himself from returning the smirk.

Lavi no longer seemed to be walking on eggshells around him; after the apology, he had become much friendlier. He didn’t hesitate to approach Tyki by himself or start a conversation about just anything. During the past two weeks, they had done a lot of catching up, but Tyki still discovered new things about his nephew almost daily. He could now honestly admit that he enjoyed his company—there was just something about the boy that drew Tyki to him.

Tyki heard the scissors continue snipping behind him. From the mirror, he saw Lavi hunching over him, starting to work on the other side of his hair. His hands and fingers moved skilfully, as if they were taming a wild animal and making it follow his commands. His shoulders had lost their earlier stiffness, and they were bouncing up and down, dancing in the rhythm of his arms. His peach-coloured shirt was looser than the other shirts Tyki had seen him wearing before; it was made of thinner fabric which seemed to be reacting to the smallest of movements, stretching and wrinkling like a second skin. It emphasized the shape of his muscles, and a barely visible V-cut revealed a bit of his collarbone.

There. Tyki’s eyes lingered on the real, freckled skin peeking from under the cloth. It was pale, slightly less pink than the shirt, and looked smooth. And warm. And touchable.

Tyki blinked. He removed his eyes from his nephew and tried to find something else to look at. His mind was wondering to weird territories.

_Just close your eyes and think nothing. Relax and enjoy him tending your hair..._

“You know,” Lavi’s soft whisper caught his attention, “cutting such nice hair is a shame.” His fingers caught a loose, shortened curl and pulled on it playfully, making Tyki tense instinctively. “But you’re still a nice catch,” he added, and Tyki’s eyes cracked open. He stared at him, mouth slightly agape and dry. He didn’t realize he was making such an uncharacteristic expression until Lavi burst into a laugh.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure father and Road are going to appreciate the new Tyki, too,” he said, snapping off few runaway strands and brushing off the hair fallen on Tyki’s shoulders. Each touch was searing, and they made Tyki shift on his seat as if he was sitting on a bumpy pillow. Lavi’s little remark refused to leave his mind, and he couldn’t understand why. Lavi was obviously taking the situation lightly.

Why couldn’t he?

“I think I’m done,” Lavi finally said, and Tyki let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

His hair curled an inch or two above his shoulders. Parts of it were cut unevenly, giving it volume and a nice, ruffled look. Small sidebangs had been left to roundish his face, and the mass of his ponytail was gone, making his head feel like half of its weight had disappeared.

Lavi’s hands, on the other hand, weighed a ton. He was resting them over Tyki’s shoulders, making the plastic of the cloak feel like melted pudding; Tyki could have sworn the room had suddenly become few degrees warmer. “We could play with length a little,” Lavi said and slapped his shoulders, making him flinch and almost bite his tongue, “but I think it looks good now. What about you?” His peppy voice was like fireworks.

“It... it looks perfect. Thank you.” Tyki forced himself to smile. To his relief, Lavi didn’t seem to notice his tenseness and continued brushing off the cut hairs.

Tyki had no idea why he felt uncomfortable all of sudden—it made absolutely no sense. He usually enjoyed these private moments with his nephew.

Still, Lavi seemed happy that Tyki had liked the fruit of his labor. A grin as bright as sun beamed on his face as he cleaned off the equipment, returning them to the counter. He released Tyki from the confinement of the rain cloak and made his way to the door through the jungle of removed hair—his yellow socks were pretty much tainted by time he reached it.

“I need to get a broom and a dustpan,” Lavi said and took a hold of the lock. He started turning it but stopped, hesitating. “Um... I’m pretty sure that once I unlock this door, the vultures will fly in. So, prepare yourself.” He counted to three and started creeping the door open.

The moment there was a crack to the bathroom, a small nose pushed in like a cat’s or a snake’s. Road squished herself in, crawling under Lavi’s arm like a commander in a field exercise. She was followed by Sheril racing after her like a train car, also sneaking past Lavi’s arms. The whole inrush was over in a second, and Lavi stared the empty hallway, his brains unable to catch up. Tyki saw him facepalming before disappearing from the room, leaving him to deal with his hungry relatives.

They dug in, immediately. Road almost smacked her head against Tyki’s when she crawled into his lap and pulled his head closer for inspection. She took in his new haircut with a critical expression, holding his head as if he was in a guillotine. “It does look nice. I wish you didn’t have to cut it, but it looks thicker now.”

Tyki rolled his eyes and caught a sight of Sheril with the side of them. His brother was crouching on the floor and picking up something into his hands. The vein in his head popped up when he realized it was his hair. “SHERIL!” he barked, the volume shaking the room. “Have you finally lost your mind!?” It hadn’t even been a minute, and he was already done with his niece and brother. He needed them out, now!

“Father! Please!” Lavi’s cry echoed from the doorway. The items he had brought made a loud bang when dropped on the floor, and his frustrated stomps ran towards them. He grabbed both Road and Sheril from their collars, throwing them back outside, and slammed the door in their faces, leaning against it as a safety measure. “Go wait downstairs! I’m sending him there once I’ve finished cleaning him!”

The impatient steps disappeared from behind the door, moving into the direction of the stairs. “I’m making a Tyki voodoo doll!” was Road’s final warning before it was perfectly silent, and the only things audible in the room were Tyki and Lavi’s breathing and heartbeats.

Lavi’s hands shook when he brushed them through his hair, laughing half-heartedly. “Would you believe if I said they pull this kind of shit every time I cut my own hair?” He tilted his head in Tyki’s direction, raising his eyebrows in a tired manner—and Tyki found the gesture awfully cute. Lavi removed his hands from that soft-looking hair and put them behind his back, allowing his eye rest on Tyki for a moment before picking up the cleaning equipment and getting back to work.

Tyki watched him clean the piles made of his leftover hair. He had hard time believing all that had been stuck on his head an hour ago; a bear could have been shaved on that floor. He felt a pang of guilt for not helping Lavi with the task, but otherwise his mood had improved. The outburst towards Sheril had somehow managed to purify the burning feeling, and he could once again relax at the presence of his nephew.

They kept bemoaning about their relatives and coming up with new jokes; Tyki almost lost it when Lavi suggested Sheril trying to give his hair a Viking burial. The floor was starting to look standable again so he thought about stretching his legs—but before he was able to get up, Lavi stopped him with a quick “wait.” He abandoned the plastic bag too large for the trashcan and stepped in front of Tyki.

Lavi’s eye drilled into him, and his hand was in Tyki’s hair. He brought his face closer and shifted it from one side to another, eyebrows knitted together as if he was trying to decide on something; like a fluffy bunny trying to look angry. The action took Tyki by surprise, and breathing was suddenly difficult again. The close proximity and Lavi’s eyelash batting just few fingers forward made fire ants march inside him.

And, oh God, Lavi’s hand was lowered to his cheek now.

What was going on?!

Why had Lavi done that? Why was he so close?

_He wasn’t going to do something more now, was he?_

A flash of silver blinded Tyki’s eyes. A loud snap made the inside of his skull vibrate. The scissors had returned to Lavi’s hand, and a tuft of black strands fell over Tyki’s nose, tickling the sensitive tip. Tyki blinked, and Lavi straightened up, smiling down at him radiantly. “You’re perfect now. With a look like this, you’re sure to score yourself a nice lady. Or a guy. Whoever you fancy, really.” He turned around and started washing his hands--but Tyki couldn’t take his eyes off his back.

“You are free to go now, Mister Handsome.”

Tyki’s breath came out in small puffs. He quickly composed himself and got up, still staring at Lavi’s back as if it held some secret. Strands of Lavi’s orange hair were poking up from his nape, and something about the sight looked just plain inviting. Tyki’s hand hesitated up, reaching out for his nephew. The orange bush shook when Lavi slowly turned his head, still smiling and giving Tyki a questioning look.

So. Damn. Cute.

A strange, affectionate feeling came over Tyki. He grabbed his nephew into a strong hold and started ruffling his hair, scratching his fingers back and forth over his scalp and fondling with his spiky strands.

And yes! Yes, those were just as soft as he had always imagined! Soft, and nice, and colourful! Just like fur of a small baby animal, or finest of art brushes! Yes, Lavi’s hair was perfect and almost begged to be ruffed! Rougher, and rougher, and rougher!

Stunned Lavi recovered quickly. “H-hey, Tyki!” he stuttered, embarrassed. “What are you doing?! Stop! You are turning me into a scarecrow!” He tried to slip away from Tyki’s hold, only receiving a taunting smirk from his efforts. Tyki’s fingers left his hair reluctantly and ran under his arms. Not giving him any time to react, they starting tickling.

Lavi squealed like a small animal at the butcher’s. His arms and legs flew into every direction, and he squirmed in Tyki’s hold like a fish in a web. He laughed and cried at the same time, and Tyki refused to go easy on him, mesmerized at his intense reaction. Lavi’s thrashing and bucking spun them around the room, and only when Tyki was about to lose his balance, he released his nephew.

They stared at each other for a silent moment, trying to catch their breaths. Lavi was still trying to finish his laughing, holding onto the counter and pointing at Tyki with a shaky finger. Tyki grinned like a clown, too happy to be able to contain his joy.

Lavi was little shaken, but hadn’t pushed him away. Tyki was so used to messing with Road that he had naturally extended that to Lavi—and he was glad he hadn’t overstepped his boundaries. His nephew was just so damn precious. His fingers itched to assault him again, but the poor thing could barely stand straight.

They were even now.

With little success, Lavi tried to flatten the mess which had become of his hair. With a sigh he let his arm fall back to his side and started moving towards the door. “Well, thank you! My sides are busted and my hair is a mess now,” he complained with a fake pout, still being unable to suppress the last giggles. He gave Tyki a scolding smirk before exiting the room.

“I suggest you go and fix yours, too—you have some vultures to please. But make sure to keep an eye on the clock; you wouldn’t want to _accidentally forget_ that they are waiting down there.”

Tyki didn’t waste any time, either. He sneaked through the corridor and located his own room with ease. He slipped inside and locked the door, throwing his arms in the air with an adrenaline-fuelled victory cry.

Freedom! It wouldn’t last forever, but he was going to enjoy some peace and quiet before getting poked and groped again.

As Tyki let himself get more comfortable, he happened to waltz into his own bathroom, spotting his image in the mirror. He turned towards his greeting reflection, returning the gesture. “Hi again!” His white teeth flashed their charming smirk, and Tyki almost rolled his eyes. He was being silly. However, his new haircut had completely changed his look, and he was now able to study it more properly.

Wow. Lavi had done marvellous job, in deed.

The new cut fit him like a star on a Christmas tree. Tyki puffed it up with his hands and turned his head around, enjoying different angles. He started humming and swinging his hips in the rhythm as he posed from head to toe. “Well, aren’t you something, Mister Mikk?” he asked from his reflection, flirting back at it.

“He called you handsome, didn’t he?”

His smirk turned into a softer smile, but a knock at the back of his conscious bashed it. Tyki removed the finger, which he had used to point at himself, from his lips and hid it behind his back. He refused to exchange another look with his reflection, knowing his face would look like an overheated stovetop.

 

\----------------------------

 

Prepare a needle. Fetch the labs. Take the patient’s pulse. Put in an order for the nurse, and go through the treatment plan with Miss Brown. Persuade Mr. Rimmington to sign a permission for his daughter’s EGG, and check on the orphan in the ward. Gulp down your lunch, and get back to work. Make sure to write all of this down.

Tyki fell into the car and slumped against his seat. His blood-shot eyes rolled back into his head, and he dug his nails into his hair. It was anything but warm weather, and the hiss, which was caused by his emptying, fuming insides, rose in the air like a cloud of smoke.

Patients were idiots.

Nurses were perverts.

Miss Brown was older than time, and prone to needing help with cleaning certain body parts not functioning properly. She alone filled the qualifications of _shitty job_ spectacularly.

Mr. Rimmington was a major cunt, and had something permanently stuck up in his ass. In his religious mind, everyone and everything was after his teenage daughter’s purity.

Doctor Yeager was a humble and good instructor, but his permanent “you are doing well, try a little harder next time” expression made Tyki want to rip out his organs, if only to get any other reaction out of him.

The orphan kid had by far been the least infuriating person to deal with.

It’d been another long-ass day for Tyki as a hospital intern. Late shifts left him drained and irritated, especially if an early one was scheduled for the next morning. Patients and co-workers were mostly nice or tolerable, but some treated him like a dog or were just pissing him off, for one reason or another.

Tyki sighed heavily. He didn’t hate dealing with patients—he honestly wanted to help them to get better. He also didn’t hate learning, thinking he was some big-shot who knew better than those who had practiced medicine for years longer.

He just cared too much to go with the flow. He needed to succeed.

_Oh well._ At least his new haircut made his work a little easier, and he was able to get home fast thanks to Sheril’s car. He couldn’t wait to take a warm shower and crash into the sweet oblivion.

Speak of the devil. Just as Tyki was about to start the engine, his phone rang. He grabbed it without a second thought and slapped it over his ear, knowing who the caller was without needing to check the screen.

“Dammit, Sheril, I’ve told you not call me at this hour!” Tyki snapped. “I’m not getting that cheese again! The clerk gives me creeps!” His hand had dug out a cigarette and poked it against his gritted teeth, and he wished he could just get some nicotine into his system. He couldn’t take this right now. He wanted HOME, and if Sheril tried to guilt him into some stupid little chore he’d...

But instead of the usual whining, he only heard a sigh from other end of the line. “No, Tyki, nothing of that sort.” Sheril sounded tired and apologetic, not even bothering to call Tyki by a nickname. Tyki could hear his fingers knocking against his work desk as he revealed his reason for calling. “I promised to pick up Lavi from his work, but can’t make it because I’m waiting for an important phone call. I wondered if you were still at the hospital and could fetch him on your way.”

Lavi?

Tyki’s eyebrows climbed upwards. “Lavi works? At the library?” He had had no idea.

“He hasn’t told you? But yes, he works there. If that’s inconvenient, or you have already left, I’ll just call a taxi—“

Tyki rushed to answer. “No, no, I’ll do it!” If he remembered correctly, library was at five minutes’ drive from the hospital. He was just about to leave so swinging by there would be no problem. It was late, too.

Sheril was quiet for a moment. “You will? Thank you!” he confirmed with a relief in his voice. Even Tyki couldn’t prevent the corners of his mouth from tugging up.

“Don’t mention it. See you soon.”

He ended the call and held the phone against his chest. He then slapped his hands on the car wheel and stepped on the gas. The heating system kicked in, removing what little chill his long, black coat couldn’t as he drove towards the fastest and shortest route from his memory.

So Lavi actually had a job, eh? It wasn’t strange for a guy of his age, but since their family was wealthy, that wouldn’t have been necessary. Tyki himself had been financially supported by his own savings during his school time, which had allowed him to focus on his studies. Sheril had helped whenever allowed, and Tyki knew he’d gladly provide anything for his children—which Lavi had obviously refused, unless he was doing volunteer work. Couldn’t put something like that past him.

Tyki tried imagining Lavi as a librarian—and smiled. The image suited the straight A student.

Tyki arrived at the library in record time. He left the car in a deserted parking area and hurried up the slippery stairs, shielding his face from the small drizzle. Dimmed lights were still on in the building, and the large glass doors opened every now and then, letting out people. Lavi, however, couldn’t been seen among them—he must have been still inside.

Tyki decided not to wait. He opened the nearest door, but was forced to do a double-take; something dashed past him with a terrifying speed, tearing off one his buttons and almost crushing his toes. A short kid with light blue hair and pair of roller-skates didn’t bother sparing him a glance, only sped up and disappeared behind a corner, leaving astonished Tyki to stare into his direction.

“Timothy, please! You must understand that those aren’t allowed inside!”

An odd, shaky woman had appeared by the door. Her tall, thin frame and ghostly, hollowed face reminded Tyki of a skeleton; her rattling teeth and enlarged eyes didn’t soften the image. She was muttering something impossible to understand, wearing a grey skirt and two different necklaces—both of which were clocks. She also had wristwatches on both of her arms, two on her left wrist alone—and hell, even her sweater had prints of clocks on it!

_Someone must really love clocks_ , Tyki thought. As odd as the woman was, she lacked warmer outerwear, which meant she must have been a worker.

“Excuse me,” he said politely, peeking from behind the door.

The woman flinched and turned her owlish gaze on him, and Tyki fought an urge to crouch down, in case her eyes really popped out of her head. “I... I am sorry, s-sir,” she stuttered. “W-we are just closing. I’m afraid I cannot let people in until tomorrow.” She pointed at the large, golden clock on ceiling showing that it was indeed 15 minutes past 10pm.

Tyki was sure that if he demanded, she’d let him into the library without a fight. However, he wasn’t here to cause a ruckus. “Miss Lotto,” he addressed her, having caught her name from the tag on her chest. “I’m terribly sorry to disturb you at such late hour. I’ve just come to pick up my nephew, Lavi.”

A light bulb seemed to go on in her head. “Of course, Lavi! He did mention that someone was coming to pick him up.” She then paled and clasped her hands over her mouth, as if she had swallowed a swarm of bees and was about to have a panic attack. “I’m so sorry! Should have asked about your business before telling you off! Didn’t even know Lavi had an uncle! Please, forgive me!” Tyki had to reassure her for several minutes until she calmed down.

Miss Lotto let Tyki in and pointed at the corridor by their right, the double-watches on her wrist spinning. “Lavi should be at the back there, by the history aisles. Some visitors were making a bit of mess, and he was still cleaning it when I last checked.” Tyki thanked her and moved towards the guided direction, leaving her to her duties. He passed a library counter full of ticking clocks and shook his head, having no trouble guessing who it belonged to.

Tyki’s eyes travelled along the gigantic bookshelves surrounding the corridor. This wasn’t a first time he had set a foot in this library, but the layout had changed since his last visit. Taking a wrong turn could easily get you lost, and he couldn’t risk that in this huge, two-storey building. It had been standing here for at least few centuries, expanded and repaired from time to time. From the outside, it still looked somehow classical, but the interior had been entirely modernized. Had it always been this impressive? Tyki couldn’t say; he had never considered himself a devoted reader, and his experiences were limited to the books he was assigned at school. He couldn’t quite remember the titles, except “The Shining” because of that movie adaption he had found more funny than scary.

He eventually reached the end of the corridor and glanced around furtively. There was still no sign of his nephew, which meant he had to take a step in the jungle of the bookshelves. He studied the signs, whistling in relief when he spotted word “history” above his head. He proceeded in the direction of the arrow, and was immediately met with a dusty, earthy smell—some things just couldn’t be updated. As the books got bigger, so did the shelves. Tyki browsed the thin passages and dead ends with a particular twinkle in his eyes—this could be a great place to bring a date in the late hours of the day. The thought made him smirk, but he had to keep going.

He still had a certain redhead to find.

In the middle of the bookshelves was a wide, open space filled with wooden tables. Each of them had a green library lamp, shining strong while the area’s other lights had already been turned off. The last few patrons were making their way out, packing their things and picking up their books. There, at the other side of that opening, was familiar, orange flame.

Lavi, clad in a loose t-shirt and jeans, was crouching and piling up books splattered on the floor. He lifted them up with a strained huff and staggered towards the nearby bookshelf, emptying his cargo before repeating the process. Some of the largest tomes looked quite suffered, and Lavi rolled them in his hands before hesitatingly setting them back by his side. When he had finished moving the last stack, he sat on the table and whined loudly. His hands grabbed the nearest reject and browsed it randomly, and he didn’t look like he would notice anything else for a while.

Tyki grinned like a cat who got the cream—an idea was forming in his head.

He made his way towards his nephew with swift and silent pace, sneaking to the other side of the table and stopping just few meters behind him. It was funny how well Lavi fit in this kind of environment, surrounded by those big, ancient tomes and the dusty smell. A prey in its natural habitat. Like a panther, Tyki closed their distance with an agile stride. He towered over his nephew’s unsuspecting form before slapping a hand over his eye and teasing the sleeve of his shirt. “Hello there. What’s a nice boy like you doing here alone so late?” he breathed into his ear, using a deep, creepy voice.

Lavi gasped, dropping his book to the floor. He threw Tyki’s hands away and spun around, looking like a mixture of a deer in headlights and a cat with raised paws. His hands whisked in the air as he tried to move away, almost falling from the table—luckily Tyki’s hands were prepared to steady him.

“Tyki, what the… What are you doing here?” Lavi asked, his fear dissipating as the confusion took its place. The irritated but innocent expression was ever so priceless, just as Tyki had predicted, and perfect for his collection of different shades of Lavi. Tyki continued grinning and laughing silently, removing his hands and sticking them into his pockets as if they were reward money.

“Sheril couldn’t make it so he asked me to get you in his stead.” His gaze travelled all over the place before settling back on Lavi. “The library suits you.”

“I guess,” Lavi muttered. He got up and shook his still shaky hands, groaning as his joints creaked like a rusty bicycle. “That little shit,” he growled as he rubbed the area between his neck and shoulders, arching his back at the same time. Tyki was about to ask if he was alright, but Lavi started walking away with waddling steps, beckoning him to follow.

They made their way back to the ticking front desk. Miss Lotto was nowhere to be found, but Tyki figured she was still creeping around and shooing away the slowest visitors. Lavi informed that they could go once he had retrieved his stuff from the staff room, then skipped down the hall, leaving Tyki behind. The slumped posture, combined with fast movements, made him look like a running duck, and the way his butt wiggled would have made anyone crack up.

What a wonderful creature. Tyki couldn’t have been more grateful that he had been accepted back into its life. There were few people Tyki could say he honestly liked, and Lavi was undoubtedly becoming one of them.

“ _Non mi sarei mai aspettato di vederla qui, signor Mikk._ ”

The familiar, feminine voice made Tyki blank out for a second. It jogged his memory, and he realized quickly who it belonged to—except it couldn’t. There was just no way. He rotated his upper body, just enough so that he could get a better look, and was greeted by a strong, authoritative aura.

The woman standing behind him was short, just like most Asians. However, there wasn’t anything petite about her. Her shoulders were wide and her chest large, popping-out even if wrapped in a tight, white coat and hidden behind a pile of books. She stood confidently on high heels, and could have ran or dashed through a slippery yard without breaking an ankle—or a sweat. Her facial structure was that of a beauty, but two sharp, eagle-like eyes could have made even the most arrogant man bite his tongue. The silky, black hair bun twitched on top of her head as she lifted her chin, giving Tyki the universe’s most minimalistic smile—a stranger could have never guessed that she was in a happy mood.

Tyki was overwhelmed with an awe-struck glee. The language switch turned on in his head, and he exclaimed, “ _Twi! Cosa diamine ci fai qui?_ ”

It had indeed been some time. Twi laughed with her eyes and continued asking questions, dropping her books on the counter. She was excited to hear about Tyki’s residency and settling into the city. Tyki too was surprised to find out that, out of all places, she actually worked in the same hospital as him and had just spotted his name on the list of new interns. Coincidence wasn’t strong enough a word for it.

Their discussion was still in full bloom when Lavi returned. He gave them a quick look before rooting himself next to Tyki, careful not to disturb them. Twi, however, was quick to point him out. “ _Oh, che ragazzo carino._ _È_ _il tuo fidanzato?_ ” There was a small upgrade on that stone smile of hers as she shifted her gaze from Lavi to Tyki. He recognized the teasing and shook his head lightly.

“ _Mi piacerebbe_ ,” Tyki said, chuckling, and wrapped his arm around Lavi’s shoulder, pulling him closer. Better to introduce his nephew properly. “I _n realtà, Lavi e il mio—_ "

“ _Sono suo nipote,_ ” replied Lavi in his stead. Tyki’s mouth turned into small “o” and he blinked. Multiple times.

What. Eh. How?

He knew he was staring, and he hoped his jaw wouldn’t dislocate. “You understood that?” he asked, the language switching back to default. He was unable to hide the mild shock from his voice.

“ _Parlo Italiano,_ ” Lavi answered, feigning innocence despite smiling at him smugly. He even tilted his head and winked, still pressed into Tyki’s arm crook.

Twi was quick to offer him a hand. “Lavi, eh? Didn’t know Tyki had a nephew, but it’s pleasure to meet you. I’m Twi Chang.” Lavi shook it, and they started speaking in Italian again. Tyki tried to participate in the conversation, but had trouble keeping up; he was too invested in his nephew’s slightly softer tone and the way he moved his lips when pronouncing the song-like words.

Lavi’s Italian was smooth and flawless, and had a certain rhythm into it. Accompanied by his small laughs and hums, it almost sounded like real music. The way his body language and gestures multiplied when speaking was also captivating, and Tyki could have listened and watched him forever. How the hell had he gotten so good?

Tyki managed to tear his eyes off his nephew when Twi announced that she had to go. She strode towards the exit where her husband was waiting, promising that she’d see Tyki at work. If she were to catch him slacking off, she’d be sure to whip his ass back into shape. Her words were as harsh as always. When she had disappeared, Lavi nudged Tyki with his elbow.

“So you two went to the same medical school in Italy, huh?”

“Yeah,” Tyki confirmed. Twi and Lavi must have talked about it, and he felt stupid for not listening.

Lavi let out a lengthened hum. “She seems like a nice lady. Strike material.” He was grinning like an idiot, but his eyes sparkled mischievously and Tyki could almost hear him holding back a “hee hee.” ”Did you two, perhaps, have something _more_ going on with each other?” Some things just never changed.

“Hah, not a chance,” Tyki replied with a snort. _Thank god_. “We were just friends. She and her husband graduated few years before me and moved away.” He spotted a fretful Miss Lotto at the background and removed his arm from Lavi’s shoulder, slapping him on the back. “C’moon, parrot. Let’s get you out of here.”

They moved outside, and Tyki grimaced. The air was even chillier than before, and the drizzle had turned into a full-blown rain. It was dropping down like machine gun’s bullets and pooling on the stairs, a sarcastic reminder that the weather could change its mind like a Casanova girl. Tyki was preparing to make a dash towards their car when he noticed Lavi shaking like a leaf. No wonder—the jacket he wore wasn’t thicker than a hoodie, and all he had underneath was that t-shirt and his trademark scarf. Autumn had caught the poor thing still in summer clothes.

Without a second thought, Tyki removed his coat and placed it on Lavi’s shoulders. Being enfolded by the sudden warmness, Lavi jumped, and a small sound escaped his shivering lips. He gazed at Tyki, looking for an answer to the question he didn’t dare to ask. “You seemed cold,” Tyki blurted out, a hand petrified over his soft, covered shoulder.

Lavi fiddled with the front of the coat, which was way too large for him. He tightened the collar and snuggled against it, as if the remains of Tyki’s warmth were intoxicating. “Aren’t you cold yourself?” he asked with a tiny voice, eyeing Tyki’s vest as if it was made of paper.

“Nah,” Tyki lied. It was cold as fuck, and he could almost feel the wind slipping in from the openings of his clothes, licking him into a popsicle. However, he was generally better-dressed than his nephew, who looked like he was going to reincarnate as Jack Frost if they didn’t get inside and fast. “The car’s just there. Let’s go.”

A tiny flame was lit inside of him by the small “thank you” from behind.

When they had gotten into the car and turned on the heating, Tyki paused. “Have you had something to eat yet?” he asked, watching as Lavi was trying to fit into his seat in that big coat wrapped around him.

“Not yet, but I’ll have a bite at home,” Lavi huffed while fighting with the seatbelt. His cheeks were starting to recover their healthy rosiness, and the sight fed the flame inside Tyki.

“Let’s go and get you something. Pizza sound good?” he suggested, getting rewarded with another surprised look. Lavi, of course, thought he was being silly, and they argued few minutes before Tyki managed to win him over. It might have been a little late and cold, but Tyki didn’t feel like he was ready to give up their uncle-nephew time just yet.

He could spare one more hour to hang out with Lavi, and then he’d be off to bed. He could always shower at the morning.

 

\----------------------------

 

“Achoo!”

Dammit! Where were the tissues?

The plug in his nose had loosened, and the sink was on. His eyes were tearing up like small waterfalls, filling his vision with smudge and misery. Sniff, sniff, and sniff. Fuck. He couldn’t even smell or breathe.

Oh, the agony… Oh, the tragedy… Where were the nurses when you needed them…?

“Stop rolling around! Are you trying to get us both sick?”

Like a mongoose, Tyki’s dishevelled head peeked from the cloth mound. His swollen red nose wiggled back and forth, trying to regain access to its basic functions. With a noisy inhale, he dropped his head backwards and wailed as the liquids started flowing back into the nostrils. “Lavi… can’t you show a sick man a little compassion?” he cried, feeling his cheeks turning into water balloons.

Lavi gave him a look. “I would—if you were buried under _your_ covers in your own bed.”

“Well _excuse_ me,” Tyki huffed and hunched under a sunflower-patterned blanket covering his shoulders and arms. Over his lap was another blanket decorated with cartoon bunnies, and his feet were pleasantly tucked into a third, rainbow-coloured bundle. They were nice and colourful, and so much more cheerful than his own, white and black sheets. That, however, wasn’t the reason he had made himself at home in Lavi’s messy bed.

“Our darling Road ordered me to make sure you’ll be ready—an hour before the departure!”

Tyki had been suffering from cold for a few days now, and had eventually run out of medicine. He was going to restock, but had to wait for his niblings since he had promised to give them a ride to the cinema on the way. For some reason, Road had been like a mad bull, blowing up and fussing over every possible thing. She had ordered Tyki to look after Lavi while she continued dressing up for the third hour, fearing that her brother wasn’t taking the event seriously enough. What the hell had gotten into her?

“Well, Allen is coming with us,” Lavi said as he continuing browsing the book, which had kept him occupied the whole day. Tyki eyed the pile of turned pages before falling back on Lavi’s bed and staring at the ceiling. Who the fuck was Allen again? Whatever. Right now he couldn’t have cared less.

Maybe he wouldn’t have needed to nest in Lavi’s bed if there was something better to do. He wasn’t exactly the world’s most patient man when his head felt like a fish bowl, and Lavi being more interested in that book than entertaining him was just depressing. The warm, cosy bed had been good for sitting, but it felt even better when pressed against his sore neck and sides. Tyki hadn’t meant to take it over, but the temptation of a warm, soft spot had made him feel a little better.

He crawled around, finding a comfortable position from which he also had a view of his nephew.

Still, it was probably time to get up. He didn’t want to accidentally pass the cold on to him.

Keeping the sunflower blanket wrapped around himself, Tyki slumped off the bed and tried to find something else to put his mind into. He had visited this secret lair of Lavi’s several times now, and it never ceased to amaze him. Besides the collection of eye-burning sheets, it was filled with all kinds of peculiar things. Small, strange items like hourglasses, dreamcatchers, and quill pens were scattered around, and the stench of ink was ingrained in everything, particularly in the millions of papers covering every surface. It was a wonder you could still see out of the large window and sit on its bench between two libraries, as well as on Lavi’s bed and chair. His desk was a block puzzle by its own, and the books—oh boy, the books. Lavi wasn’t just working in a library, he was also living in one. Lavi’s room had libraries from floor to ceiling, at least one by each wall, and the varied books decorated the shelves in every colour and shape. What didn’t fit in was placed on the floor, stacked into piles taller than Tyki.

Tyki pulled out a random book. He opened it and browsed through the pages—it was written in some foreign language, and he couldn’t understand a word. _Is that Japanese?_ He gave up, pushing it back where it had come from. There were lots of other foreign books, but he ignored them, focusing on charting Lavi’s collection as whole. There was at least one bookshelf full of history books alone, the others containing books about animals, space, art, literature, medicine...

_The Art of War... The Book of Five Rings... East of The Sun of The Moon... History of Witchcraft... Yule: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for the Winter... Name of The Wind... The Complete Guide to Middle-earth... Tome of Eternal Darkness... Irish mythology... Swedish Folk Tales...  Suuri Tonttukirja... _“What the fuck?” The stranger and stranger titles were making Tyki’s head spin.

He sat back on the bed, tapping his feet against the ground. Lavi’s posture had changed, and he had moved his book into his lap. Its brownish cover was now fully visible, and Tyki took notice of the golden font and the picture of a character holding a sword. The man wore a strange, Roman-like helmet, some kind of lizard replacing the classical plume. “ _Children of Hurin_ , huh?” Tyki wondered aloud. “What’s that about?”

He couldn’t say he was too interested, but it was better than sitting in silence for another minute.

“Hmm,” Lavi hummed, raising his gaze from the pages. His nose twitched like a rodent’s when he was thinking. “You see the books over there?” he asked and pointed towards one of the shelves Tyki had inspected. Each of its books was marked with the same symbol. “Those are all written by Tolkien,” Lavi informed, frowning when Tyki stared at him as if he was talking in a foreign language. _“_ The author of _Lord of the Rings.”_

Oh. Yeah, right! Tyki remembered that from his high school days. Nerds loved it.

He nodded, and Lavi continued. “So, _Children of Hurin_ is part of _The Silmarillion_ , which is a collection of _Lord of the Rings_ history and Tolkien’s mythology. Hurin is a mortal man who gets captured and cursed by the main antagonist, Melkor. The curse gets passed down to his children.” Lavi coughed, keeping a small pause before continuing; he had gone into a story-teller mode. “The book mostly follows his son’s, Turin’s, struggles. It was inspired by the story of _Kullervo_ from Finnish national epic, _the Kalevala_.”

“KAH-leh—what?”  Tyki blurted, trying to mimic Lavi’s pronunciation. Seriously, was he expected to keep up with all these names?

“ _Ka-le-va-la_ ,” Lavi repeated, more slowly and patiently, dividing the word into syllables. “Tolkien was inspired by it greatly, and that’s most obvious in _Children of Hurin_.”

Jesus Christ. Tyki nodded, still lost with Lavi’s explanation. These kinds of fairytales weren’t exactly his cup of tea; they were way too tedious. However, he couldn’t just roll around and return to pillow digging since he had asked about the book himself. Lavi was clearly talking about something he was passionate about—Tyki could at least try to show some interest.

He sucked his cheeks in before coming up with something. “Soooo... how are those stories alike?” It seemed to hit the bull’s-eye because Lavi started drumming his fingers against the book and wiggling his toes.

“Well! Just like Turin, _Kullervo_ was also cursed. They both ended up marrying their sisters unknowingly and killing themselves after finding out.” _Holy shit_. “Isn’t that awful?”

He said it with such atypical excitement and glee. His mouth was opening and closing like an elevator, his head bouncing up and down. Tyki hadn’t expected to hear something like that. He bit his tongue—and burst into a laugh. Lavi’s horrified expression only made him cackle harder.

“Hey! It’s a tragic story!” Lavi cried, his eyebrows trying to knit together. Tyki just couldn’t.

“I’m sorry, but... but they married their own sisters? How? How’s that even possible?” His eyes were tearing, more thanks to his sickness, and the contents of his nose were trying to slip into his mouth. God, he needed a tissue, he needed a tissue! If his cold didn’t kill him, all this laughing would. What a stupid story! His lungs hurt, and he needed to cough.

Lavi was glaring at him quietly. “They hadn’t seen their sisters in years,” he muttered. “They had no idea they were related. It’s not funny.”

Tyki masked new laughs as coughs. “Well, tough luck.” He didn’t know what else to say without hurting his nephew’s feelings, even if he was still horribly amused. Seriously, who could have had such a shitty fate they’d accidentally fall for their sister? If that wasn’t karma he didn’t know what was. Accidental incest—the bad guy must have had a blast. He hadn’t known Lavi to be into this kind of stories, and it reminded him of the time he had caught Road on their computer, reading some rather... questionable interpretations about Supernatural characters.

“By the way, which movie are you guys going to see?” Tyki asked. _Time to change the subject._ “Road seemed excited about it.”

Lavi released his crossed arms and set them over his stomach, rocking back and forth with his chair. A wry grin slipped into his face. “ _Rogue One_ , but I’m sure she’s going to be too distracted to focus on it,” he said, chuckling to himself—all witty and cheered up.

Tyki smiled. “Cool. Isn’t that a _Star Wars_ remake? Used to watch them a lot as a kid.” Lavi responded by giving him a weird look.

“Um... It’s not a remake but a prequel. Didn’t you see _The Force Awakens_ when it came out?” Another stunned expression from Tyki made him snap. “You gotta be kidding me?! What kind of barrel have you been living in?” His reddening cheeks huffed and puffed as he grabbed his phone, turning white when the screen lit up and revealed the time. “Fuck! The trailer can wait, we better get going!”

Lavi jumped up and started digging through his clothes. Tyki slid off the bed, reluctantly letting go of his blanket. Even if he was well past that phase, he was kind of surprised to hear news about his childhood movies. _Star Wars_ sequels? This time and day? Bah. The old films were nostalgic, but the sequels tended to suck on principle. If he was curious about something, it was how badly they had managed to butcher the original series. He was about to ask his nephew for another summary when Lavi stood up and—

Flung off his shirt.

It was over in a split second. A different shirt was pulled down Lavi’s back, and he crouched down, to fix his pants and socks. Tyki was staring at him as if experiencing a blackout, eyes locked on the area where the skin had flickered.

He dropped his gaze.

An uneasy feeling was pinching the bottom his stomach; he wasn’t sure if it was his cold or something else. Probably the cold. His head felt a little light and his face hot. Yeah—definitely the cold.

“God, you look awful,“ Lavi said, having completed his preparations. He had pushed his hair up with a green headband, revealing two large hoops hanging from his ears. Punkish. A strange contrast to his other looks, but suited him nevertheless. It was casual, making him look like the teenager he was.

Lavi wondered if Tyki should stay home, but Tyki reassured that it was fine as long as he’d get his medicine. They were interrupted by Road’s bossy calling, and hurried to join her at downstairs. While they were dressing into their coats, Lavi suggested that they could watch that previous new _Star Wars_ together. Tyki agreed, more excited about scheduling time for his niblings that the actual movie—at least they could laugh at its stupidness together.

Turned out that Tyki absolutely loved that movie.

Rey was cool, and Tyki found himself rooting for her through to whole film. Other new characters—and droids!—were also interesting, and it was exciting to see the aged actors returning to their roles. Carrie Fisher tugged at his heart-strings like no other older woman, and Harrison Ford... WHY, HAN, WHY! He had never cried over a movie, and he wasn’t about to start now! _He wasn’t!_ The plot was good, and the action was good, and the jokes were good...

Tyki talked about nothing but _Star Wars_ for days. His cold had disappeared into thin air like a dying Jedi. Sheril looked at him as if an ancient monster had been awakened, and Lavi and Road exchanged silent looks whenever Tyki was lecturing them about his theories and facts. He almost flipped the table when he heard they hadn’t seen the original movies, and a marathon was scheduled for the next weekend, overriding whatever plans they might have had.

“This is boring,” Road complained when the second movie was playing. “The effects are lame and it’s full of clichés!” She was struggling to remove a large lollipop from her mouth, stuck behind her teeth.

Tyki threw her a sparking glare. “No, you uncultured imp! The effects are GREAT for a movie of this age! The only reason you could find them clichéd is because they started those clichés!”

“Do not talk to my Road like that!” Sheril snarled from the other end of the couch.

“Oh, shut up! You would know if you were paying attention instead of being glued to your phone!”

“TYKI, I HAVE IMPORTANT CALLS TO MAKE! I cannot just cancel them because of your renewed obsession over these space samurais!”

“Umm, maybe we should just calm down and continue watching?” Lavi carefully suggested, seated between the two arguing brothers along with his sister. Tyki nodded and nudged his shoulder playfully—that was the attitude he was looking for! Lavi laughed at his enthusiasm and said, “Well, we are already on the second movie. How many are there left?”

Tyki lifted his chin proudly. “Only four. But we can watch _The Force Awakens_ again if we have time at the morning.”

A dreadful silence joined their couch gathering. Road plucked her candy out with one machine-like tug, and Sheril massaged his temple, hiding his eyes. Digging his fingers into his legs, Lavi bit into his lip, trying to keep the smile frozen on his face. On the screen, Yoda was muttering some smug, wise words. “Size matters not. Look at me. _This is going to be one hell of a night.”_

Road threw her arms in the air and ran away. Tyki spun after her and chased her around, but catching her without proper tools was just plain impossible. When he returned to the living room, Sheril had also taken off, hiding himself to god knows where. Only one brave soldier had remained on his spot, and Tyki thanked the heavens that he had been blessed with such great nephew; Lavi was loyal to the end.

They continued watching, switching the second movie to the third when it ended. Lavi sighed silently when the clock on the wall hit 9PM. “I don’t know if I can do this,” he admitted with a weary voice, arranging his legs on the empty spot beside them.

Tyki offered him popcorn and grinned. “You will. The time flies when you are watching these things. This one is also my personal favourite, full of iconic moments. I’m sure you’ll love it, too!”

At a certain point of the movie, Lavi actually did perk up. “What the hell?!” he exclaimed, dropping his popcorns to the floor. “They are twins?” His face was like C-TPO’s, except his eyebrows had a mind of their own. “But... but they kissed in the first movie! This came out of nowhere! What were the writers thinking?!”

Tyki looked at him with a crushed frown. He had always thought it was a great yet sad twist. Luke and Leia would have been perfect for each other; it was too bad they were related, but the revelation had been well played. It had wrecked hearts all over the world, Tyki’s included. “Luke didn’t know...” he said, expressing his sympathies for the character.

Lavi refused to look at him. “Neither did Turin,” he said with a chilly voice. “But at least his incestuous romance had a purpose. This... this just feels cheap. Like someone changed their mind in the middle and made them siblings for the shock value.” He refused to buckle from his opinion, and no matter how Tyki tried to justify his favourite movie’s writing, Lavi just wouldn’t get it.

That was the first time Tyki experienced utter rejection from his nephew after their reconnection. Lavi refused to understand him, and he couldn’t understand why. Lavi was the smart one—so why couldn’t he get Tyki’s point? Road and Sheril’s betrayal felt like an insect bite compared to it.

Accepting that he and Lavi weren’t carved from the same stone hurt.

A seed of that thought was planted into Tyki’s subconscious when Lavi fell asleep against his shoulder during the fourth movie. His first instinct was to shake him up, but something about his peaceful expression made him waver. Lavi looked content like that—was it really okay to take it away?

Lavi’s limp body was warm, and his tender breaths kissed Tyki’s skin. He sniffled in his sleep like a hedgehog, rubbing his nose against Tyki’s muscles when shifting. He made pleased noises when Tyki’s hand finally escaped to his arm, changing his position so that it fell over him naturally, as if there was a spot reserved just for it.

How could anything in this world be that adorable.

Tyki allowed his arm to tighten around his nephew, bringing them closest they had ever been. His chin sunk into his soft hair, snuggling against it as if it was a natural thing to do. It felt good. His nephew—Lavi felt good. This was how it was supposed to be.

_So this is how it’s to have a nephew_ , Tyki thought. He didn’t mind continuing the movie like this.

 

\----------------------------

 

The tiny bell over the door chimed. As the door swung open, the air forcing itself in whistled like a hollow pipe. Shoes clicked against the floor, and hastily removed clothes made baggy noises. Light steps tapped towards the kitchen, followed by nuanced, cheerful humming. Tyki didn’t have to glance at the arriving figure to know it was Lavi, but he did so anyway. The red-haired whirlwind passed him with an automatized “hi,” stopping by the kitchen counter.

It couldn’t resist the smell of fresh coffee on early Monday afternoon.

Lavi snapped his fingers twice before grabbing a mug and filling it with black substance. His head bobbed as he made his way towards the table, slumping against the chair opposite of Tyki’s. He threw his school bag over the table and started digging out the books, continuing his humming and non-stop movements. The occasional crooning sounded like small whispers, and it made Tyki prickle his ears, mistaking them as Lavi talking to him. The strange behaviour was like a mosquito’s—minimal but disturbing enough to steal his attention. Tyki’s eyes brushed over Lavi a few times before landing on the small wires coming out of his ears.

The ends of his mouth tugged upwards. Tyki continued stealing peeks at his dancing nephew before lowering his newspaper. He leaned forward and snatched one of Lavi’s earplugs, making him blink like a malfunctioning robot at the loss of music. Rewarded by his dumb sound, Tyki smirked in triumph and stuck the plug into his own ear.

“ _The Doors_? I thought you were 19, not 60. This is old geezers’ music.”

Lavi huffed and blew him a raspberry, yanking back his earplug. “Then what are you calling the crap you play at the car? _‘I wanna take a ride on your disco stick?’_ Do you even listen the lyrics?” It didn’t take him long to come up with even wittier comeback. “Oh, but you _should_ know everything about older music. You’re a relic yourself!” He gave Tyki’s leg a small kick, which only made him chuckle harder.

Wasn’t someone mouthy today. Well, so was Tyki.

He leaned over on his arms and wiggled his eyebrows. “If you mean that people dig me by that, then yeah—I’m one desired relic.” He clicked his tongue, and Lavi rolled his eyes. Tyki returned his earlier kick, and they started a playful fight under the table. Neither of them wanted to lose, and they stopped only after almost spilling Lavi’s coffee.

Laughing heartfeltly, Tyki decided that he had teased his nephew enough. He returned back to his newspaper, grabbing a nearby item and setting it on the bridge of his nose. Before he could find the spot where he had been, Lavi slammed his hands on the table.

“You have glasses?!” he shouted, staring at him as if he was an alien, something that hadn’t existed in his world prior to this moment.

Tyki raised his head again, pushing up his glasses with his index finger. “For reading. I can do that without them, but it’s more taxing,” he explained. Lavi continued staring at him in utter disbelief, and Tyki tried to keep up a straight face. He didn’t last long. “What?” he bursted, letting out a bemused laugh. “Do I look that weird?”

Lavi’s mouth opened and closed like a fish’s before he forced it back into action. “No, it’s just... you do not exactly associate glasses with the infamous Tyki Mikk,” he said. He moved his head like a snake as he took in Tyki’s look, zapping it from one side to another. “They look kinda fancy. And they do suit you, as impossible as that might sound. Hmm.” He then adopted a look of a grinning horse. “You really are an ancient being. Ancient, _ancient_ being.”  

Tyki rolled up the newspaper and spun it in his hand. “Young Mister Kamelot, it’s an _ancient deity_ to you,” he said with a fake serious voice. Their exchange was becoming quite ridiculous, but he didn’t care. It was fun. “Do you need me to punish you like a proper celestial being would do? I have this paper, and I’m not afraid of using it.” Lavi looked like he was about to piss himself.

“Celestial being my ass!” he exclaimed. “You might look like one, but from the inside you are something else.” Tyki was about to ask him to clarify, but before he could phrase it, Lavi had already risen from his seat.

In a moment, his hands were by the sides of his head. Tyki flinched when Lavi’s fingers trailed up his cheekbones, settling on the frames over his ears. They were like feathers—soft and gone as fast as they had appeared. Lavi pulled them back, and Tyki realized the glasses weren’t on his face anymore.

Lavi straightened his back and inspected the glasses in his possession now. Tyki allowed his eyes to trail the shape of his frame before letting out a sigh and resting in his seat. Somehow his nephew always managed to catch him off guard. His face was still tingling where it had been touched, but he knew better than to think too much of it.

He just wasn’t used to Lavi’s quirks. It was perfectly okay to feel weird when his personal space was invaded without a warning, and he’d get used to it in time, just like with Road and Sheril.

They were an uncle and a nephew, after all.

“Mind if try them?” Lavi asked when he was done inspecting the glasses. Tyki smiled and gave him permission. Odd feelings aside, he was happy that they had managed to become this close in such a little time; it hadn’t even been two months. Lavi untied his eyepatch’s string and removed it, revealing the eye Tyki had only had privilege to glance once before—the symbol of the trust between them. Lavi then slid the glasses on his face and looked around the room.

“Fucking hell! I can’t see a shit!” he cursed loudly, taking advantage of Sheril’s absence. Tyki snorted as he squinted his eyes and staggered around the table, face looking like a pug’s butt. The crescent shaped lenses were too small for his expressive eyes, while the decorated, black frames were too large for his head’s shape. Tyki gestured to the corridor where a large mirror resided, and Lavi disappeared from his view for a moment. He snickered when a loud “fuck no” echoed from the hallway.

Lavi stomped back into the kitchen, glasses removed. He returned them to Tyki with a shove. “No matter how fancy, I’m not ready to become a grandpa yet. Unlike certain someone,” he mocked. Tyki’s turn to roll his eyes.

“Will you ever quit it with the age jabs?” He sighed. His arms had crossed over his chest, hiding the glasses away from Lavi’s critical view. “I’m only 27, a man at his prime age!”

Luckily, Lavi seemed to be sticking to his first impression. “Do glasses give you extra points among the ladies? Or the gentlemen?” he questioned. His hand was taking support from the table as he relaxed against his arm, the other resting over his waist. Hint of amusement remained in his tone, but otherwise he sounded sincerely curious. Tyki’s arms relaxed, too, when he thought about his question.

“Can’t really say,” he soon answered. “I do not exactly read in that kind of company.” Had he actually put those words better, their strange after-school joking might have ended here and turned into a decent conversation.

Now it didn’t.

Something in Lavi’s eyes flickered. His mouth took a strange, crooked shape, as if a cackling witch had stolen his skin. His finger tapped against the table as his other hand landed next to it, and he pushed his upper body forward, calculating gaze stuck on Tyki. “ _What_ do you with them, then?” he asked with suggestive voice, a devilish grin splitting his face in half. _“Study anatomy, day and night?”_

Tyki stared at him. Long.

Eh. Eh? EH?!

“Wha-what?” He stuttered, paralyzed under Lavi’s intensive gaze. _What, where, who, how? Why the hell was Lavi asking about something like that?!_ He had no idea what was going on on his face—the control of those muscles had gone down to the toilet. He felt pale, and sweaty, and hot, and...

Lavi burst into an echoing laugh. He buried his face into his hands, his whole body shaking. “You! Don’t look at me like that!” he cried. “You said it yourself!”

“What are you talking about?” Tyki’s brains were throwing somersaults until the realization came to him, like a slap to the face. His memories took him back to their very first, awkward car trip. It had been him talking, bragging, speaking about himself, and Lavi sitting silently. Until—

The blood rushed to his face. Even his complexion couldn’t help him this time. “I didn’t say that!” he shouted.

“Yes, you did!”

“I didn’t mean it like that!”

He hit his wrists against the table. Lavi continued laughing, and Tyki’s cheeks felt like they were filled with lava.

How had he not realized the innuendoes?!

_“I did not mean it like that!”_ he repeated, digging his fingers into the wooden surface. Lavi still laughed, and didn’t show signs of stopping any time soon. He just laughed, laughed, and laughed.

Tyki wanted to join him. Laugh with him, laugh at himself. It was actually quite funny, now that he thought about it. Had his lips not lost their feeling, his primitive smile might have looked like a smile.

How had Lavi even remembered something like that?

“You...” Tyki said, his voice low from the discharged emotions. He brushed his hand through his bangs and swept away the sweat, letting out a laugh sounding like a croak. Dismay and amusement overwrote what had been in his chest and throat a moment ago, and he managed to reveal his teeth. “You little...”

He dropped his hand and whipped it through the air. The relieving action was fast and snappy.

His nephew could be such a little ass sometimes.

Tyki stood up from his chair. He looked straight at Lavi below him and grinned tiredly. “Fucking brat,” he snorted with affection. Had his throat not been so dry, it might have sounded warmer.

Lavi didn’t say anything. He had stopped laughing.

He was leaning on the table, stagnant and silent. His fingers were curled under his palms and pale knuckles. His head was raised slightly, just enough so that he could see Tyki, and his mismatched eyes were locked on him like frozen marbles. Like a deer’s. The ghost of a smile on his face looked like it had been painted with purple ink; the curve was lost, and his lips had thinned into straight lines.

Lavi moved, slowly.

He inched off the table. The movement was so delicate it looked like his bones were simply rearranging under his skin. First were the legs, then the shoulders, then the head. He only pulled himself up when he had escaped Tyki’s shadow, and the table had moved between them. He staggered backwards, and his head bounced up, his chin glued against his neck. His hair flowed down to his face, covering almost everything except his better, unreadable eye. It was still focused on Tyki, like a sight of a gun.

Cold.

The atmosphere had become cold and serious.

Tyki blinked. His neck felt naked, stretched so far away from the rest of his body. A bad taste was climbing up to his mouth.

For a moment, he thought Lavi was going to jump. Either away or towards him.

But Lavi didn’t. Instead, he lowered his gaze, and was no longer looking at Tyki at all. His shoulders looked like they were being forced into a small box, and his hand shifted over his stomach, taking his other hand into it. He looked so small, standing there like a lonely child during a recess, the playful attitude all gone.

Tyki frowned. He didn’t like it—Lavi’s tense form and the way he held himself. There was something unnatural, almost sickening about it. He wanted rush to him and shake him out if it, but a voice at the back of his head shouted, “No!” As if he could make it worse. He didn’t know how, or why he felt like that—it was almost as disturbing as the sudden change in Lavi.

What had caused this? He hadn’t done or said anything wrong, had he?

It was then that Tyki heard a small whisper. His nephew was trying to look into his direction, but not at him. His tongue slipped out and back into his mouth, as if it was something foul—something he didn’t know if to swallow or spit out. His eye took a careful peek at Tyki’s face and snapped back to the floor. Instead of a whisper, Tyki now heard a quiet “sorry.”

His eyes lost their form; he could tell they were ridiculously wide and revealing, but didn’t care. “Sorry? Whatever for?” he asked, not hiding the confusion and dismay from his voice. This kid, Lavi—he couldn’t understand what had gotten into him. There was absolutely nothing he should be apologizing for, and yet he was.

_Lavi… what are you trying to say?_

Lavi dared another peek at him. His lips vibrated slightly, and they looked reddish, possibly from gnawing. “I… wasn’t being annoying?” he asked carefully, his gaze on the table now.

Tyki’s window-like eyes went on a blinking spree. He opened his mouth, but instead of a confused sound, a laugh erupted. “Annoying? No, no! Where did you get that idea?” He was actually more relieved than amused, but the presence returning to Lavi’s being made him smile like a happy father. He moved his hands to his hips and took a tentative step in Lavi’s direction. “Seriously, how could I find you annoying? You are the funniest little guy around, and the only being who doesn’t drive me crazy in this house.” When Lavi didn’t look like he’d shoot, Tyki closed their distance and placed a hand over his head. Instead of ruffling his hair, he petted him gently.

“Silly kid, don’t jump a gun like that. You are awesome.”

For a while Lavi just watched him, rocking slightly in the rhythm of his hand’s movements. He was like a dog, trying to read its master while melting into the caress. A small hesitant smile was starting to form into his face, and he was very much alive and warm when he finally let his eye rest. The locks on him opened, and he regained his vibrant, colourful presence. Tyki felt the muscles of his face lighten.

Sometimes a feeling grew so intense it became physical—that was what happened to him now. He was just so happy it was over, and he had gotten Lavi back from wherever he had been.

Maybe it’d be good to resume talking. Something safe and goofy. He wanted to make sure his nephew was cheered-up for good.

“It’s still two months away, but this will be the first time in years I’ll be here for Christmas,” Tyki said. “I guess that means we are in for another grand party—if Sheril doesn’t get withdrawal symptoms beforehand.”

Lavi gagged a small laugh-like sound, shaking off Tyki’s hand. Strands of hair were poking out of his head like small antennas. “Out of all things, you bring up his parties again? Please, spare me from the litany!” He raised his hands and walked away, shaking his head and letting out small cough-laughs. He seemed okay now. Instead of taking a chair, he sat on the table and took a swig from his forgotten coffee. It had already gone cold, and he dropped his jaw in disgust before settling into a skeletal expression. Tyki could tell the cogs were back into spinning in his head when he leered at him. “Are you sure you do not secretly like those parties since you talk about them so much? Being the king of the ball, Prince Charming _at his prime age_ , surrounded by beauuutiful princesses.”

Tyki sighed—at least the little shit was back. It might have been a good idea to drop the bickering for today, but he couldn’t resist a good comeback when it came to him so naturally. He thrust his hip to the side and smirked. “I can get my own princesses and princes just fine,” he said and spun his hand over his chest, flaunting with confidence.

Lavi poked out his tongue, lips curving up like a fox’s. He lifted his leg on the table, pressing his cheek on his knee and letting his hair spill to the side. The free leg was like a tail, swinging back and forth while brewing mischief; he was trying to decide whether to bite or back down. “Is that one of your pick-up lines? Or maybe you invite them to your royal chambers. The guests would probably love to have Dr. Mikk check on their anatomy,” he finally said, biting.

Would he ever let that one rest?

Feeling his ears tingling again, Tyki cleared his voice. “For your information, I have never used that on a partner.” As expected, Lavi’s evil eyes became sickle-shaped slits.

“What do you use, then?” he inquired, almost purring.

That little smart-ass looked so damn pleased with himself—must have wanted to use that anatomy comment for ages. Tyki wondered how far he’d be comfortable with dragging this back-and-forth tug; as embarrassing as it was, it didn’t really bother him. He did appreciate Lavi’s quick-witted humour, and his nephew clearly wasn’t bothered by his suggestive comebacks. Their words were filled with sexual undertones, and it was the language Tyki spoke the best. They had brushed the subject a few times, but never before had they tackled it so openly.

Tyki found himself getting excited about this side of Lavi; it was like he was synchronizing with some deeper part of him, digging out a hidden treasure. It was like they were dancing on a tightrope, except it wasn’t dangerous but thrilling.

Would Lavi continuing smirking? Would he get scared or embarrassed? Would he laugh? Tyki wanted to find out. It was time to raise the stakes.

“You really wanna know? How about I show you if you are that curious?” he suggested, letting his voice drop slightly lower. The kid had started a game, and he was dying to play along. He’d make him lose his tongue and gawk at him like a wolf at the moon. His shoulders relaxed before shaping up, taking a broad, inviting posture. He slipped his hand behind his back and brought the other one up, making sure the fingers brushed past his slightly tilted chin before holding out. He dug out his gentlemen’s smile and flashed it at his target. “I don’t believe we have been properly introduced, Mr. Kamelot.”

His nephew had wanted a show, and he’d be getting one. He was going to put all he got into this, no matter how exaggerated and ridiculous it’d become.

_C’moon, Lavi. Don’t you wanna play?_

For a moment Lavi just stared. Then the familiar softness returned to his features and he burst into laugh, his mouth fighting over what shape to take. Tyki looked at him through half lidded eyes and smirked. He started striding towards him purposefully, each step smooth and perfected. He wanted him to know that he was coming—and that he was coming for him. His head rose like a water bird’s as he kept his smiling eyes on his amused nephew, giving off the seductive aura. He stopped in front of him and extended his hand for an offer; now he just needed to wait if Lavi could compose himself.

Lavi did, eventually. He had brought a hand close to his face as he had been laughing into it. He shifted his gaze between Tyki and his waiting hand, and his expression was screaming, “What are you doing?” It wasn’t that far from a girl sitting on a railing, examining a potential suitor; she could either decide to let herself be taken, or stick her nose up in the air with an “eew.” However, Lavi was only requested to participate in a play. He made one more glance at Tyki’s hand and his perfect, controlled fingers before a determined glint appeared into his eyes. He grabbed Tyki’s hand and rose from the table, letting himself be taken.

He started playing immediately. His free hand covered up his mouth, and his gaze shifted to the side as he brought his shoulders closer to himself, trying to appear bashful. “Why, of course Mr. Mikk! I’d be delighted to make your acquaintance,” he said with an overly-sweet tone, giggling.

Tyki’s smirk grew. He was happy no one was around to tell how foolish they must have looked, because he was just getting started.

“Would you allow me to offer you a drink?” he asked, grabbing Lavi’s unfinished cup and pushing it towards him, as if it were the most expensive wine in the market. Before Lavi could answer—or die laughing—Tyki pulled his hand closer and set it below his lips. He pretended to kiss it, blowing hot air over the tender skin before gently letting it fall from his grasp. “You are looking magnificent tonight, Mr. Kamelot. Where have you been hiding all these years?” He tilted his head slightly, gifting Lavi his most charming expression; a killer in the right crowd.

Letting out a breathy “oh my,” Lavi fanned himself. “You are making me blush, Mr. Mikk.” He coughed into his hand and fluttered his eyelashes exaggeratingly, even that defective lid playing along. “But it is you who is the real jewel of the night,” he added, fighting the urge to betray his role.

Tyki also felt like he was going to lose his shit; it took all his willpower to hold himself together. “You have truly peaked my interest, Mr. Kamelot,” he said, pulling Lavi closer by the wrist. They were now at a breath’s length from each other, and Tyki allowed his voice to drop even lower. He waited a few seconds before asking, “Would you allow me to get to know you a bit closer?”

Lavi’s mouth opened—a loud gasp erupted. “Mr. Mikk!” he exclaimed with a stuttering voice. “You are too kind! But me? I’m awfully shy, and my knees are weak from the mere throught! I’m not worthy of your attention!” To emphasize his words, he let his body fall and tilt backwards—but Tyki’s hand was quick to react. It sneaked behind his back and pulled him even closer so that Tyki could lean over him.

“You needn’t worry. I’ll be here, holding you up and making sure you’ll have the time of your life.”

Lavi’s hair had splashed over his face. Without thinking, Tyki brought his hand up and brushed aside the fiery bangs shielding his eyes. It was better when he could see all of him, his reactions and emotions. But he hadn’t expected a sea.

Waves, pierced by the sunlight. Sand, glimmering under the surface. Scaly tail, belonging to a mermaid swimming past. Blades of grass. Seaweed. Amber. Emeralds. They were beautiful.

Lavi’s eyes were beautiful. Tyki couldn’t take his gaze away from them; he had never really had an opportunity to study them from this close, but _damn_. They looked deep and dark, like small caves. The green and the turquoise shimmered behind the glassy coating, and the more he looked, the more he fell in. It had to be some kind of magic. As if cursed, his lips spoke the worst garbage that came to his mind. “I am drowning in that beautiful soul of yours.”

Tyki stopped immediately and pulled away. He removed his arm from Lavi and let it fall limply to his side. He stumbled few steps backwards, making sure there was enough distance between himself and his nephew. He felt weirded out.

He had gone too far. Gotten carried away with the act. The atmosphere was weird, and it was his fault. Shit, what if Lavi was creeped out? If Tyki felt this dreadful, then surely Lavi…

The boy exploded into merciless guffaw. He made all kinds of human and inhuman sounds, holding his stomach while trying to stand with his shaky legs. It was too much, and he had to crouch down and rock himself in the rhythm of his fits. “Oh my god,” he cried in the middle of the howling; it sounded like a broken clown, all those different laughs mixing into one big mess. He buried his nose into his knees and rubbed his eyes, but nothing helped. He continued laughing and snickering until his voice was hoarse and breathless—only then could he straighten his legs. He snorted and tried to dry his leaky right eye. “That was so cheesy! Where did you pick it up?” he asked, looking at Tyki expectedly.

Tyki simply shook his head. His brains felt like a chicken stew. “I don’t know… maybe from those Italian movies,” he said, trying to get something, _anything_ decent out of his mouth.

He just had to play it cool. Make Lavi think it had been his purpose. They were still playing, and he couldn’t let his doubt show through his actions. _Especially after making up a thing like that…_

Lavi was still rubbing the trails from his cheeks—they were red and puffy from the crying. His mouth was in a loopy “v” shape and his eyes clouded by his long eyelashes. He let out small, overwhelmed sobs, and looked like he’d been given a castle and a prince of his choice—it was like a scene from a movie. His messed-up hair shifted over his face when he gave Tyki small, meaningful looks. Rotating his body, he started fiddling with the long strands covering his right eye and peering at Tyki from behind his pushed-up shoulder. One more upbeat sob before a finishing blow was delivered.

“Mr. Mikk—would you carry me to the sunset and make sweet love to me over the rose fields?”

Tyki knew he was joking.

It was the play. The character. Lavi even smirked and wiggled his eyebrows.

But fuck—he felt like he was going to choke.

“I wouldn’t have suggested it so bluntly,” he said, coughing as his voice threatened to betray him. _No, please._ His ears were crackling and making up things he knew hadn’t been said—or hadn’t been meant. Lavi’s mouth opened and looked like it wanted to add something, but a sound of music disrupted them.

Quiet, echoing melody filled the air. The raspy singing voice started spouting out lyrics. They were too blurred to make any sense, but Tyki recognized the song— _Poison_ by Alice Cooper. A classic. It woke Lavi up.

He scuttled towards the table and started pouring out the contents of his bag. Soon the song’s volume grew, and a phone appeared into his hand. Lavi’s face lightened up, and without a word he answered it. “You’re back from Japan? Sure! Where do you wanna meet?” He exchanged few more words with the caller and hung up. His grin had spread from ear to ear, and the blush on his cheeks was blooming. “Sorry, but I gotta go,” he said to Tyki. With that he shoved his stuff back into his bag and took off, bouncing towards the door like a gazelle and barely touching the floor. He was humming again, but this time it was rabid and happy, as if he had won the lottery.

He was about to leap out of the room, but stopped in the mid-air and took a step back. He swung his head back into Tyki’s direction, his cheeks lifting up and bringing back the jocular look. He looked like he had inhaled fresh air. “Thank you for sharing your moves, Mr. Mikk,” his smooth, lady-like voice sung. He lingered there for a moment, his mouth and expression twitching—as if he had too many things he wanted to say. When he couldn’t make up his mind, he settled for a genuine-sounding giggle and locked his eyes with Tyki’s; they glittered with a promise. “Let’s continue this some other time,” he said and broke the contact with a wink. With that he exited the building, leaving Tyki standing in the middle of the kitchen.

Tyki stared at the door until a chilly shudder went down to his spine. He flinched and almost let out an undignified yelp.

Somehow the room had become much gloomier, even a little eerie. It was like a hollow husk, a cocoon. Something in it had gone through a transformation—a metamorphosis—and turned into something else. Whatever it was, Tyki didn’t know—but it scared him.

The slightly nauseous feeling was back. For a moment, he feared his cold had returned, but this strange condition had been present even before that. It seemed to come and go, like an episode—but there was this one thing that seemed related to it.

_Lavi. My nephew._

Tyki wanted to chalk it up to not being used to him… but that had started to sound like an excuse.

Coffee in the coffee machine was cold and bitter. It wasn’t something anyone would normally want to drink, but it went down to Tyki’s throat and carried out its purpose—it made him disgusted. That was enough to banish the undigested porridge stuck inside him. When he started cleaning the machine, his thoughts concerning his relationship with his nephew were more level-headed.

They were getting _somewhere_. He liked the kid, and the feeling seemed more or less mutual. There were aspects of Lavi he still didn’t understand, like that strange apology, but he hoped time would take care of such dissonances. Any bigger obstacles in the way of their uncle and nephew relationship should have already been taken care.

How wrong he was.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand here we go. Hope you liked what's in the air, because this is going to be a rollercoaster. We are only in the chapter 3, so I'm going to keep my mouth sealed. Did you like it or did you hate it; let us know. Also, if there's anything you want/need to ask about, do not be afraid of doing that. You can do that here or contact us in our [Tumblr](https://sinception.tumblr.com/) page. We love answering questions or explaining our thoughts.  
> ~Una
> 
> Next time we are in for some... physical moments. Tyki gets quite familiar with a certain backside.


	4. Wolf in Uncle’s Clothes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This idiot and I have been taking so long in updating this fic, but I hope it was worth the waiting and that you'll find it enjoyable 8) also, I am sorry but this is only gonna get worse from the point on.  
> ~Kash
> 
> What she said.  
> ~Una
> 
> Again, many thanks to lovely [KittyBandit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyBandit) for beta reading this!

_His shoes are on fire. The stairs are roaring and so is his heart._

_The door he pretends doesn’t exist draws near. He rips it open. Good. The little shit is inside._

_The bed springs creak. The arm in his hand is thin and tense, covered in disgusting goo. Fucking hell! Stop whining! It’s not like you’re really hurt!_

_Get up! She’s down there, crying, and it’s your fault! Your fucking fault! You’re gonna apologize even if it’s the last thing you do!_

_Stop crying, you fucking brat!_

\------------------------------------

 

Tyki’s eyes snapped open. His breath came out in rapid wheezes, and his lashes bat like an animatronic doll’s. He had sunken deep into his bed, and despite the ray of light sneaking through the curtained windows, black, all-eating shadows surrounded him, making his room feel like a cave without exit. Wrenching his skin away from his glueish sheets, Tyki managed to turn his head and search for the numbers on his nightstand. 5:33. Damn, it was early.

His hand flew onto his forehead. It felt like sandpaper against his sweaty skin, rough from dirt _._ He could have sworn he had taken a shower before bed, but he certainly didn’t feel like it.

Changing his position, Tyki tried to fall back into sleep, but he kept squirming and rolling in his sheets. Nothing felt comfortable. It was either too hot or too cold, and his blanket kept trying to wrap around him like a straitjacket. Every time he closed his eyes, he felt someone sitting on his face, trying to suffocate him. Any other night, the thought would have humoured him, but now it made him restless.

Tyki abandoned the bed and rushed into the bathroom. He gave himself a quick wash, only to grimace at the shaggy face in the mirror—for now, it would just have to do. He didn’t want to spend another minute in the darkness of his room, and he changed into the first set of clothes he could get his hands on, a pair of jeans and a buttoned shirt, before leaving.

A cup of coffee. That was what he needed. A better start for the day.

Careful not to wake up his family, Tyki sneaked down the stairs and into the kitchen. It was lit by dim, motion-sensitive lightning system that wasn’t strong enough to cover the whole room, but Tyki didn’t bother turning the lamp on. The coffeemaker had decided that it was going to be a bitch today, and the time it took brewing stretched his violin-tight nerves; he almost broke a toe by kicking the counter in desperation. Thank god the coffee ended up decent. Just as Tyki was starting to relax, he heard a creek from upstairs, followed by a dramatic, poodle-like sneeze.

Fuck. Sheril was already up.

Tyki had to compose himself quickly. He shoved his mug into the sink, returned the pot into the coffeemaker, and grabbed the key for the backdoor. He almost tripped on his feet, but he managed to complete everything before Sheril’s chipper steps reached the ground floor. With a swing of a door he escaped into the garden, adamant on avoiding his brother for at least half an hour. He wasn’t in the mood for his morning kisses.

The sun had awoken from its slumber, peeking through the dark clouds covering it. It was a rare sight; the days had gotten shorter and darker from both ends, and no matter what time Tyki left or returned from work, he barely got to see light for more than an hour. The constant rains made him all doom and gloom, but while the weekend had arrived at a snail’s pace, the weather seemed to be getting better. Tyki inhaled the fresh after-rain scent hanging in the air and allowed himself to enjoy it, feeling the chokehold around his neck loosen.

Not bothering to worry about time, Tyki drifted into the garden. His carefree gaze took in the nature preparing for its annual slumber, the flowers that had dropped their petals, and the grass that had turned into crispy sticks. The bright autumn colours were dying and turning into homogeneous, brown mass, neither ugly nor beautiful, but something in between. An interphase. Typical October.

Tyki had been aiming for the koi pond but accidentally took a wrong turn from the side of the labyrinth, finding himself in a small chessboard-like area he had never seen before. It didn’t match with the rest of the garden, and there was something strange, almost mystical about it. The open centre was surrounded by large, decorative sculptures, fancier than the ones sprinkled around the mansion grounds. Tyki approached them curiously, wondering what kind of secret he had stumbled upon; this place felt like a hidden room, a garden within a garden.

The sculptures varied in height and material. Some were the size of a garden gnome, some towered over Tyki. They were too detailed and complicated to be viewed from afar so he had to come closer and examine them one by one. He even came across a particularly creepy one that made him jump—a bald man sneering at something so twistedly it would have made his godfather’s clown mask seem like a teddy bear. Tyki had no idea what it was supposed to portray; it had feathers growing out of its arms, but it _couldn’t_ be an angel. He gave its info plate a critical look. _Innocence?_ Pfft. Innocence his ass. There was nothing innocent about that thing.

Speaking of asses….

Tyki had bumped into something that was more to his liking than creepy old men. An amused grin spread over his face as he eyed the body part that could have belonged to Narcissus himself. In front of him, turned shyly away from the centre, shone a finely-shaped marble butt.

Out of all the things he could image Sheril commissioning, this took the cake. Tyki let out a thrilled laugh—he might have just discovered his brother’s secret kink collection.

The Mighty Butt belonged to a figure that could have stood by the Italian masterpieces. It was stark naked—of course—full of details carved with frightening precision. Tyki could see small bumps and folds on its skin, muscles and hair; he could even spot few beauty marks breathing personality into it. _Work of art, truly._ Tyki chuckled and glanced at his surroundings sneakily, making sure there was no one but him around—then placed his hand on the sculpture’s perfect leg and trailed it down. Tiedoll’s signature at the bottom didn’t surprise him. Maybe he should consider commissioning the man too; he had never been into arts, but something like this he wouldn’t mind.

Tyki circled the Mighty Butt, admiring it from all angles. His eyes climbed up its shins and stopped at the middle, narrowing as he snickered at the tiny leaf covering its groin. At least the poor fella got some modesty left. He ogled its well-formed hips and chest shamelessly before resting his gaze on its handsome, god-like face. Or so he had planned.

Tyki bat his eyes in confusion, brows knitting together like an old man’s. Something about that face bothered him. It was strangely familiar, and he knew he had seen it somewhere not that long ago. Now, where had that been…

Oh!

_Ohfuckingshithellno!_

A shot ran out inside him. Tyki forgot all about the sunny weather, avoiding Sheril, and that uncomfortable feeling he had woken up with. The only thing he cared about was getting back to the mansion the fastest possible way—his brother needed to PAY.

Sunlight had taken over the gloomy kitchen, and the grey walls shone in paper white, reflecting the light and turning the place into a pleasant sunroom. The autumn weather outside felt like another world. Sheril, Road, and Lavi had sat down around the large dining table for breakfast, absorbed into their morning rituals. Sheril was about to ask his children if they had seen their uncle, but Tyki beat him to it by bursting through the backdoor with enough force to make the teacup in his hand clatter.

“I’M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU, SHERIL!”

His family stared at him as if he was a wild animal. Tyki’s face had turned into an overripe plum, and he grinded his teeth against each other, head lowered like a stag preparing for a charge. Sheril pursed his lips and gave him a disapproving, clueless look.

“Tyki dear, I thought you were still aslee—"

“What the hell is that THING?!” Tyki roared. His heart hammered in his chest, and he wanted to strangle someone. He fought the urge to flip the table and pour everything on it onto his brother, and he would have done so had his niblings not been there.

Sheril scowled at him. “You would have to be a little more specific,” he said in that _“you are not making any sense, but I’m pretending to take you seriously_ ” voice of his.

“That… that thing in the garden!” Tyki screamed, slamming his hands on the table and shaking the dishes on it. To Sheril’s twisted luck, Road interrupted him before he could commit his very first murder.

“I think Tyki has found the statue, Dad.”

Tyki’s eyes snapped to his niece. She sat on her chair in the most unladylike way, leaning against it with her arms crossed behind her head, and wiggled her eyebrows. The sweet grin on her lips promised that Tyki’s life was going to be a misery, and his throat started drying up as he realized the hint lying in her words.

“You… you’ve seen it?” God, he didn’t know how he could possibly live in this house anymore! But if he thought things couldn’t get any worse, he was so, _so_ wrong.

Kitten teeth peeked from below Road’s upper lip as she revealed the card in her sleeve. “I have! And so has _Lavi_!”

Tyki’s knees almost bucked. He thought he was going to faint, and he wanted nothing more than an open grave where he could dive in and bury himself. The existence of that perverted sculpture was a shock itself—but the knowledge that his nephew had been forced to stare at his naked goods, twisted into that horrible, degrading posture… it wasn’t just an embarrassment, it was a disaster!

Tyki searched for Lavi’s silent figure from the other side of the table. He wanted to ask if it was true, but the only thing he could get out of his mouth was a pathetic whimper. He caught the green eye into his and almost burst into tears—Lavi, his sweet little Lavi, was trying to hold back a laugh!

“It’s quite a glorious sculpture,” Lavi said, coughing into his fist. He managed to keep most of his expression neutral, but small, invisible hooks pulled at the sides of his mouth, and his frame trembled as if he was about to have a seizure. Any second now, he would lose it.

“Oh my God…”

Tyki fell into one of the chairs, the coffee in his stomach turning to lava. The floor below him was no longer solid, and the room around him started to melt like candle wax. Did he even have legs anymore? Who cared! Whether he had them or not, they would be just like the ones in the garden, with beauty marks and everything. Who knew how many people had been counting those from his shiny buttocks?

The cursed statue had to go. It just had to.

“Sheriiiiiil,” Tyki whined, burying his face into his hands. He had never been this desperate. “Please, take it down. I can’t… that damn leaf…”

“You want me to remove the leaf off?” Sheril asked, finally showing some reaction. “Tyki, we are not that vulgar! Some of our guests—"

“YOU DIDN’T LET ME FINISH!” Tyki roared. The blood in his veins was about to explode. “I want you to take the whole thing down! Destroy it or sink it to the pond, I don’t care!”

Fuck this family. Fuck his brother and his twisted taste, and fuck the damn sculpture.

“You could have _at least_ given it a bigger leaf!” Tyki muttered angrily. It was twisting the truth.

“You know, Tyki,” Road said, rocking on her chair. “There’s a legend about rubbing the statue’s left butt cheek. Do that, and you might find yourself a groom. It’s been really popular among the ladies.”

W h a t e v e r…

Tyki didn’t bother commenting on Road’s story, but Lavi seemed amused by it. “Maybe I should try my luck with it. Could use a prince charming as gorgeous as _that_ ,” he said, casting a sly look into Tyki’s direction. He snickered with his lips, and Tyki didn’t even realize he had stopped breathing before Lavi winked at him and returned him to the Earth.

Was his nephew… flirting?

Tyki felt something rise in him. Dread and humiliation were whipped away and replaced by new, bristling energy. The tenseness disappeared from his muscles, and he leaned over the table and rested his chin in his hand, flexing his free fingers into Lavi’s direction. The distance between them became non-existent. “Oh? Well, I can guarantee the _real deal_ is much better,” Tyki whispered with a purr. “Why don’t you give it a try?” he added and reached for Lavi’s face, emphasizing the physicality of the invitation. But instead of a delicious gasp, a widening of that precious green eye, or a stutter of those paling lips, he got a smack onto his backside.

“Tyki! Get off the table this INSTANT!” Sheril yelled.

Tyki obeyed like a trained dog. Getting down didn’t go as gracefully as climbing on to it, and he crawled backwards like a worm instead of the siren he had been a second ago. His brother punished him by muting his ears while Road howled hysterically at the background, accompanied by Lavi’s mischievous giggling. The red spots over his nephew’s cheeks were the only thing keeping Tyki sane in the circus he was forced to star.

The messed-up breakfast ended when Lavi got up and announced that he was going to a friend’s place. Sheril also made his leave, but since Tyki was the only one who still hadn’t eaten, he remained in the kitchen. Opening the freezer was a chore; nothing in it felt particularly appealing, and his stomach protested the mere sight of the food. Tyki considered medicating himself with something sugary, but he got forked whenever his eyes stopped on something Road deemed hers—as if he hadn’t suffered enough.

That cursed monument was still out there, and it was going to stay. Tyki felt wronged and defeated.

But… if he was lucky, a branch could fall on it and batter it beyond recognition. Or a storm could blow it somewhere it could never to be found. Or a burglar could take it. Malicious thoughts started entering Tyki’s mind, and an evil smile crept over his face. There was still hope. _One night_ , he promised. One night the statue would disappear without a trace. He would make sure of it.

Tyki didn’t notice that Road had also left the kitchen. He was busy munching a banana and planning his counter attack when a loud snort caught his attention—Lavi had reappeared at the doorway. He was leaning against it, stance smug and relaxed, and he looked at Tyki with amuse and pity, as if he was sorry but not really.

_Traitor._

Tyki lifted an eyebrow. “Weren’t you supposed to be going somewhere?” he asked bitterly. Lavi had changed into a baggy sweatshirt, and his crammed school bag bulged by his side like a puffy pillow. Tilting his head aside, he and gave Tyki a small, v-shaped smile.

“I am—but I wanted to make sure my uncle didn’t hurt his ego too bad.”

Tyki huffed. He clamped his mouth shut, chopping off half of the banana, and shook his middle finger at Lavi, telling him to go eat shit. His nephew just laughed and jumped into a ridiculous kung fu pose, shooting Tyki with fingerguns, that mocking expression never leaving his face. Mouth full of fruit, Tyki could only let out another, frustrated huff. The stump of banana in his hand turned into a sword, and he swung it in the air, thrusting into Lavi’s direction—the gesture made his nephew cackle even more rudely.

“I hope you have more than that behind the leaf! Otherwise it’s gonna suck for the ladies!”

That was it.

_“You litffle… Chome hrere andth I’ll showll you!”_ Tyki mumbled. The remaining banana was tossed somewhere, and he brought his hand to his hip and traced the edge of his pants, snapping the rubber band aggressively. His nephew’s eyebrows lifted up when he took an adamant step into his direction, and Lavi seemed to ponder if he was out of his mind before reclaiming his courage. He also stepped closer, but he didn’t notice that his heavy bag followed with a delay.

It was like a wrecking ball.

The bag swung under Lavi’s arm, its weight pulling him along. Lavi had just enough time to dig his heels into the floor to avoid flying on his nose, but the action tore a painful cry out of his throat. Eye bulging like a tennis ball, he sucked his lips and slapped a hand over his shoulder that looked like a bent blank under the pressure of the heavy strap. Tyki’s playfulness turned into instant worry. “Shit! Are you alright?”

Lavi didn’t answer immediately. He bit into his lip and breathed through his nose, then peeled his hand off his shoulder as carefully as if it was made of glass. They both watched as he tried rotating and moving his arm, and despite the grimace on his face, it seemed to be working. Tyki dared to let out a relieved puff. “Does it hurt?” he asked and walked closer to have a professional look.

“Yeah,” Lavi answered hesitantly. He rubbed his shoulder and stretched his arm, both inspecting and showing it off. As he started to get over the initial shock, his fearful expression softened, soon overridden by that familiar, carefree smile of his. “The pain’s dissipating. This is what I get from not stretching enough, I guess,” he said with a laugh.

Tyki lowered his eyes to Lavi’s bag—it was the real source the problem. “No amount of stretching is gonna help if you continue carrying that thing around. It’s gonna kill both your shoulders AND your back.” It didn’t help that Lavi worked with heavy books and spent so much time hunching over his schoolwork; at this rate, he would become Quasimodo before reaching Tyki’s age.

Lavi protested with a frustrated whine, tucking the ergonomic nightmare safe behind his back. “I just need a massage or something,” he muttered and flipped the strap onto his less strained shoulder, fidgeting with its worn-out leather; it was a small every-day gesture, but it got to Tyki for some reason. He felt as if the sounds around them had suddenly ceased, and the gears in his head had started ticking as if they were trying to crack some kind of code.

He stared at Lavi’s tense, curled fingers—how small and frail they looked, peeking from the sleeves of that huge sweatshirt. It was bagging over Lavi’s torso like loose dough, and an idea came to Tyki, making his blood boil and freeze at the same time. The words were out of his mouth like a swarm of mosquitos.

“I could give you one. A massage.”

He couldn’t hear anything, not even his own thoughts, from the current in his head. He or Lavi—he couldn’t tell which one them was more surprised.

The green planet in Lavi’s eye shrunk and grew. His brightly-coloured lashes brushed over it like a meteor shower, and his lips parted slightly before a perky smile pulled them back together. “How can I refuse?” he laughed, and Tyki mirrored the expression.

Tyki pulled out a chair and seated Lavi on it, moving behind him in one swift movement. His fingers ghosted over his shoulders, tingling from anticipation; he knew what to expect under that unflattering mass of cotton, and it excited and scared him at the same time. The thought of touching Lavi sent pleasant shivers down to his spine, and an unfamiliar mix of excitement and nervousness swirled at the bottom of his stomach. For a while Tyki just stood there, enjoying the tension.

“Alright, Doc, I’m waiting! Show me what those magic fingers can do!”

As the kid wished.

Tyki released his hands. They pushed through the sweatshirt’s thick folds and grabbed into the shoulders beneath. Not bad—he had always thought Lavi had good bone structure, and he wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. Lavi’s shoulders were wide but not blocky, connected to his back by a pleasant curve, and Tyki traced them all the way down to Lavi’s biceps, feeling out his muscles; definitely a scholar and not an athletic. Tyki took his time warming up the mass underneath his fingers, digging into the soft fabric, but more than once, his eyes got stuck into his nephew’s collar. Without thinking, he grabbed it and pulled it down. Lavi’s long neck arched up just slightly, all smooth and moving like silk—the thought of touching it made Tyki’s lips wet.

He had to remind himself that he was merely helping his nephew out. That was all there was to it. Really.

Taking a deep breath, Tyki placed his thumbs on Lavi’s nape. It was so much softer than the fabric of his shirt, and Tyki had to swallow before he dared to press harder and search for a traceable line between the muscles.

Damn. Everything was so soft and warm. His nephew was like a hot-water bottle in human skin.

As Tyki kneaded the area around Lavi’s shoulder blades, using just enough pressure to ease its knots, Lavi started flinching and gasping. He whipped his head back and forth and pressed his back against Tyki’s fingers like a cat begging for more. “Oh my god, that felt so damn _goooood_ ,” he purred, letting out a pleased shriek when Tyki found a particularly nasty knot. Tyki’s hands stopped in their tracks; the blood in his head was pumping a little too aggressively. He had to cool himself down before he could continue.

At least his nephew seemed to enjoy himself.

It didn’t take long for Lavi to turn into a puddle. He crossed his arms on the table and rested his head on them, giving Tyki better access to his back with an unvoiced request. Tyki applied more and more pressure as his hands followed down to Lavi’s spine, taking pleasure from the small sounds coming out of the redhead. He was wondering how Lavi would react if he continued all the way down to his hips when an unexpected question shattered his concentration. “Should I take my shirt off?”

This time, it wasn’t just Tyki’s fingers that stopped working—his organs failed too.

_YES!_ He had hold himself back so that he wouldn’t scream that one little word.

“Actually, I’ll just keep it on. It’s a bit chilly.”

Tyki had to do a double take. His hands returned to work on Lavi, but his mind was elsewhere. He tried to think of anything but the pale, lean muscles just a cloth’s thickness away from his fingertips. He shouldn’t be distracted—and he definitely shouldn’t be disappointed. He needed to finish and go back to minding his own business.

But… maybe he could push the shirt up. Just a little. It wasn’t like he _needed_ to see, but it would make massaging the lower back easier.

Tyki’s hands were running up and down Lavi’s back with increasing speed, scrubbing it like bath sponges, when Lavi suddenly perked up. _Shit! I didn’t touch anything, did I?_ Tyki freaked out before noticing that Lavi’s eye was on the clock on the wall. Lavi gasped and jumped from the chair, almost knocking his head against Tyki’s jaw.

“Crap! I fell asleep!” Wobbling on his legs, Lavi rushed to pick up his boulder-like bag and throw it over his shoulder. He stretched his arm, smiling when it worked like an oiled wheel, and spun around to thank his saviour. “Your hands are quite something, Mister Mikk! Now I understand how the ladies can look past your faults.” The cheeky bastard was back, and Tyki groaned, feeling the embarrassment return like a fever. His nephew was begging to get disciplined!

But before Tyki could do anything—grab Lavi into a noogie or give him a Sheril tier lecture—Lavi snatched his hands. With a peculiar expression on his face, he pulled them close and teased them with soft, warm breaths. Tyki’s lips faltered. He almost choked when something wet pressed against his skin—Lavi was kissing his hands!

To be fair, it wasn’t a proper kiss. Just two pecks over bone-white knuckles. But that little fact wasn’t registering.

Tyki woke up to Lavi’s laugh. His nephew waved at him from the exit. Without saying another word, Lavi made his leave, and Tyki heard a door bang shut a few seconds later—with that he was gone, just as quickly as he had appeared.

Tyki lifted up one of his hands. It was on fire, tingling, and the bones felt like rusty screws under the paper-thin skin. Lavi’s kisses lingered, teasing him. Before Tyki knew what he was doing, he had brought his hand up to his lips and kissed it.

First Sheril’s statue, now this. He must be losing it.

Unknown to Tyki, a war was raging inside him. White and red soldiers were slashing and stabbing at each other with flagged spears, trampling around his flesh and skeleton, leaving nothing but fire behind. His stomach had turned into a sea fought over by missionary ships aiming to conquer it. The tension built up, spreading and twisting into every corner of his body, until Tyki could no longer ignore it. He picked the winner. A sly chuckle slithered past his lips when he lifted his head and straightened his back, ridding himself of those pesky white soldiers. The victorious reds started cheering, and a wave of thrill flushed through Tyki when they thrust their banners in the air, chanting, celebrating, rooting. He felt good—like a scientist who had just discovered a new specimen. Had he not been the 21th century’s greatest hedonist, he could have seen the snake emblem on the flags of his chosen troops.

If Lavi ever asked for seconds, Tyki wouldn’t hesitate. His nephew could leave the shirt off too.

 

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The smell of baked goods filled the air, circulating through the Kamelot mansion’s resident wing. The sweet aromas mixed together, creating mouth-watering combinations and mental images. Burnt sugar, melt butter, flavoured cream cheese, cinnamon, caramel... mmm-hmmm!

A wooden spoon disappeared into her mouth, only to return all cleaned. She spun it around before slamming it right back, scraping its surface with her pearly whites. Chocolate was good. _So good._ Not as good as candy, but good enough. She had done excellent job in making it, and she needed to make sure no drop would go to waste. From what little was left at least.

The board below her shook when she slammed her heels against it. Unable to contain all the excitement stored up in her small body, her ballerinas refused to calm down, repeating the action over and over again. Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, knock.

“Road, could you _please_ stop that?” her brother whined from the floor.

Road batted her heavy eyelashes. She wrenched the spoon out from her mouth and smacked her chocolate coated lips, hazy after being pulled out of her dreamworld. _What a bore._ She poked her tongue at her brother but stopped producing the irritating noise.

Dear Lavi, on his hands and knees, scrubbing the floor. Surrounded by shiny white marble, minus the parts flooded in runny chocolate. A small kitchen accident had occurred twenty minutes ago, resulting into a fallen bowl and an onslaught of brown. It was everywhere: on the floor, on the table, on the sink. On the stovetop, over the closets, on the ceiling. On the bottom of Road’s ballerinas.

Road looked down to get a better look at the kitchen counter she was sitting on and had been kicking. She lifted an eyebrow, then shrugged and rubbed her feet on it—it was going to be cleaned anyway.

Lavi muttered under his breath, not bothering to mask the curse words. Road followed his labour with interest, but instead of jumping down to help, she laughed and stuffed more chocolate into her mouth; neither of them wanted to leave the kitchen in unruly condition, knowing their father would have a seizure if he happened to catch a wink of it, but that didn’t stop her from forcing the boring part onto her brother. It was much more amusing to watch Lavi’s ass hover in the air, wiggling from side to side along with his feverish movements—he looked like a stretching cat with that small ribbon bouncing above his tailbone!

It was then their uncle happened to peek into the room. No matter what Tyki claimed, even he couldn’t resist a call of the fresh pastry. His long nose led him like a compass needle, and his eyes trailed the tables, curious what kind of treasures had been taken of the oven. However, as soon as he spotted a certain redhead, his gaze locked onto him, and everything else seemed to disappear from his mind. Road snorted—her uncle’s mouth had shrunk into a tiny dot, and his eyes had rounded up like car lights. A straight line could be drawn between them and Lavi’s rear.

Tyki stood there like an owl, hands hanging in front of him like wing stumps. A small smile developed on his face, stretching into unnaturally wide, full-blown grin that looked too cartoonish to be real, something Goofy Goof could break into. His hands rubbed against each other before hurrying to his hips, and he took a more controlled and confident posture. “Well, well, well, what do we have here?” His eyes blazed at Road’s brother, and she could see a laugh bubbling in his throat.

Lavi turned his head, a dumb expression on his face. “What does it look like?” he said with a groan, sitting up on his knees before flinging a dirty rag to the wall, from which it dropped down with a pathetic thud. His cheeks were red from frustration, and not only was he covered in chocolate but sugar and flour as well. Road thought that maybe—just maaaaaybe—she might have slightly overdone it during the food fight…

Nah. Of course she hadn’t.

She was tempted to leave her post so that she could give Tyki’s white shirt a new look, but the bowl in her arms only had enough chocolate for few spoonfuls. _Wrath or gluttony… what a tough choice,_ she thought as she returned to licking it. Tyki was spared from her affections, for now.

Instead, Road humoured herself by following the direction of his eyes. Tyki’s gaze was spinning between the plate of chocolate pumpkin cupcakes and Lavi, who had returned to scrubbing the floor. He was desperately trying to finish the centre of the destruction, and his backside danced in the air like a professional twerker’s, hypnotizing their uncle. Road snickered into her spoon; she understood how Tyki’s mind worked far better than their poor father who had his own illusions to uphold. Personality-wise, she and him were quite similar, sharing an attraction to certain wickedness.

Road might not have shown it, but even she had been worried about Tyki’s attitude towards her brother. Her family thought she couldn’t remember because she had been seven when they had last lived under the same roof, but of course she did. _How could anyone not to?_ For once, she was thankful of Tyki thinking with his dick before his head; due to that little misunderstanding at his homecoming party, he had not only accepted Lavi as a part of the family but also befriended him. It was surprising how well they got together now, and Road couldn’t have been more pleased; as much as she loved to mess with her boys, it was nice that they had found a common ground. Being the idiots they were, their bond took new forms and turns every day.

However—even Road didn’t expect Tyki to dash forward and slap Lavi’s butt. It made her choke on the chocolate in her throat and almost fall off.

“So, what have you rascals been up to? Besides shitting the kitchen,” Tyki laughed, tracing the seams of Lavi’s back pockets with his fingers. Lavi swat them away, continuing his task with a tight expression on his face.

“We are making cupcakes,” he stated, articulating the words so that the tension behind them couldn’t be missed. Road was still coughing and trying to clear her throat, but she agreed with a pleased hum, throwing her arms in the air.

“And muffins, and cheesecakes, and pumpkin pies!”

“Road, I’m not baking anything after this disaster!”

Well, she had tried. She had plenty of time to convince him to help her again with the Halloween goods. She always got what she wanted, one way or another. And right now she wanted…

Tyki shook his head in amusement and moved to the coffeemaker. His hands were sneaking dangerously close to the cupcake tray, and Road fixed her posture like a soldier who had spotted an enemy. No. Her uncle wouldn’t DARE! Tyki’s slimy fingers wiggled closer and closer, and Road could see—she could so see—them charting out their options. Too bad they only had one, and it was to STAY STILL! Her feet started drumming against the kitchen counter again, setting up a haunting rhythm. _Off with his fingers, off with his fingers!_

“Road, PLEASE!”

Oopsie. But to be fair, Lavi would have even bigger mess in his hands if their uncle didn’t watch himself.

To everyone’s luck, there was no need for thumbscrew. Lavi stood up from the floor to dust himself, and Tyki’s jaw dropped when he noticed the perfect pink apron swirling around him; it had pictures of white rabbits running across its fabric, shiny pearl footprints sewn in-between them, and thick patches of frilly Alencon lace decorating its seams like whipped cream frosting. Quite a head-turner. Road smiled smugly and ruffled her puffy chest and sleeves—she would have been jealous had she not been wearing a similar one.

 “What the hell is that thing?!”

Road’s face fell, transforming into a goblin. Didn’t that moron have eyes in his head?! She and Lavi were looking _absolutely adorable_ in their fancy brand aprons, and the only thing their uncle could say was “what the hell is that thing?!” URGH! She wanted to throw the now-empty chocolate bowl at him and crown him as the king of the morons! That was not how he was supposed to react!

Road was still digging her nails into her bowl when Lavi finished cleaning the floor and dragged himself to the sink. Tyki, who had forgotten the cupcakes for a moment, slid closer to him, and they engaged into a small talk that Road didn’t bother listening, too busy throwing a mental tantrum. Bla bla bla. Tyki’s stupid comment was pissing her off. Not only was it a declaration of his idiocy but also waste of a perfectly good opportunity to embarrass someone. She considered lifting her ass so that she could consult with the cupcakes, but a small gesture in her uncle and brother’s direction caught her interest.

Oh my GOSH!

Tyki’s thumb was on Lavi’s chin!

He was holding his face, tilting it upwards like a treasured possession. His thumb rubbed against Lavi’s skin, caressing, loving it. His touch lingered on, and he drew circles around Lavi’s jaw and cheek before picking up a splash of chocolate on it. Lavi’s eye widened, and Tyki smiled like a prince. He moved his frosting-covered thumb into his mouth and sucked it slowly, savouring the flavour, never once removing his gaze from Lavi’s.

Road’s world turned pink. She saw arrows, and doves, and hearts.

The bowl she had been holding fell with a clang. Her hands sprung to her cheeks, and her mouth cracked open, letting out a delighted shriek that rang inside her head like church bells. A stupid smile took over her face, and her feet cycled in the air as trumpets started playing at the background. Her chocolate-speckled teeth couldn’t block the escaping wheeze when she threw her hands in the air, stretching as high as possible.

Yes, YES!

She finally fell off the kitchen counter. Consumed by hysterical giggling, Road was unable to answer Lavi’s worried questions or notice Tyki snatching one of her prized cupcakes. In her mind, she was gazing at a horizon so dark it would have made her father scream, scratch out her eyes, or even lock her up.

But Road Kamelot wasn’t like her father. She looked at the solar eclipse with naked eyes and smiled.

 

\-------------------------------

 

The local Starbucks was getting busier and busier. People came and went as the clock neared four, picking up their orders before rushing back outside, hurrying home rather than consuming their purchases on the spot. That didn’t mean the seats and the tables were all empty as colourful spread of people of all ages and genders loitered around, untied by the society’s rules. Some were working from their laptops, enjoying the background buzz, some preferred spending time with their friends. The baristas jogged around and cleaned the places in-between the orders, not having time for even the noisiest of the customers.

A woman in the line yelled at the phone, angry at her husband for one reason or another. An old man smacked his lips, inspecting the drinks on the list while drumming his cane against the floor. A flock of high schoolers played cartoon openings and YouTube Poops from their phones, howling artificially loud and excitedly at everything happening on the screen—ah, it was all so lively. The sound of someone slurping their drink shouldn’t have stood out, but boy, it did.

Lavi’s gaze shifted between the two guys sharing his table. A boy with striking white hair stared back with unwavering eyes as the smoothie in front of him kept disappearing with alarming speed. He didn’t seem to pay mind to his seatmate whose fingers kept twitching aggressively, adding more pressure to his gritted, dog-like teeth. Lavi gulped; Kanda’s ponytail whipped in the air like a belt, twisting from the murderous aura circling their booth.

“So, are you free this weekend, or are you still working on that project of yours?” Allen asked, continuing to ignore their ticking friend. The grin below his long bangs looked innocent enough, but Lavi knew better than to trust his expressions—Allen didn’t work like a normal human. He could look like an adorable school boy while planning the most gruesome murder, and the only thing marring his angelic face was that red burn mark, splitting his left eye and cheek in two. It shined against his pale features like a demon’s contract, granting his stare an intense, petrifying effect. Destroyer of Time, Crown Clown, Cheater Boy A… Allen Walker would have made a perfect comic villain.

Licking off the last of the smoothie, Allen cleaned his lips, and there was a slight, barely noticeable change in their curve. “Are you sure you’re just studying and not doing _something_ _else_?” he blurted out, and his eyebrows climbed up and tilted towards his nose, revealing the sadistic little fucker Lavi was more familiar with.

He replied with a sight like a jaguar’s. “Al! Do you have to?!”

His friends were horrible! Lavi felt as if he was being grilled on a frying pan, and he tried to defend himself by throwing napkins in the air while burying his head into the cushion of his backrest. Why did he choose to share his secrets with these people again? All they did was tease and humiliate him!

“Aww, don’t be like that.” A tender hand had appeared on Lavi’s arm, rubbing it and nudging it towards its owner. “We know you’re too much of a chicken to act upon it,” Lenalee said, beaming at him with her lush, gothic doll eyes. Lavi had to mentally slap himself so that he wouldn’t get lost into their deep and dark cores—Lenalee Lee wasn’t adored and gushed over for nothing. Her cuteness could have melted an iceberg, and it didn’t stop at her looks. Despite finding Lavi’s suffering as entertaining as the devil across the table, she expressed herself in more comforting and compassionate way. Lavi’s lips wrinkled into a froggish line before he pulled his arm free and cleared his throat into his fist.

“Seriously, guys, give it a rest. It’s just a school project.” He returned into sipping his coffee with a warm stripe irritating his cheeks. His friends sure knew how to take advantage of his weaknesses, the merciless little shits they were.

But given a chance, Lavi could be just as bad.

That’s why he didn’t try to stop Allen from pulling at Kanda’s extremely stretched nerves. Allen had started playing with his drinking straw by wiggling and whistling through it, and their Japanese friend’s trembling increased to an alarming level. The back of Kanda’s neck arched up like an angry cat’s, and his face tightened as if it was trapped in plastic wrap. He was on the verge of snapping, and it didn’t take more than few puffs aimed into his direction to set him off, leading into verbal violence and macabre threats.

Lavi let out a heartfelt laugh; it would be the end of the world before those two stopped antagonizing each other. He wouldn’t want it any other way.

As he continued observing his friends’ fight, Lavi didn’t notice a shadow creeping up on their party. He was taken aback by a strong hand landing on his shoulder, fingers lean and curvy like a spider’s legs, tapping and digging into the wrinkles of his hoodie. Lavi could have sworn he felt one of them feel out his collarbone. Before he could say anything, a silky voice entered his ear, the breath accompanying it like a feather against his skin. “What’s a straight-A student like you slacking off at Starbucks?”

It was his uncle. Of course.

Lavi sighed and leaned backwards with an “oh really” smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Why wasn’t he surprised that, out of all people, Tyki had managed to find him at the busiest time of the day? He opened his mouth to respond with a smart comeback but was cut short when the table under his hands jumped. Kanda had stood up and slammed his hands on it, and a vicious growl erupted from his throat. “Don’t you fucking touch him!” He looked ready to bounce over the furniture, and he would have likely done so had Allen not held him on place by grabbing his arm. They both eyed Tyki hard and warily, and Lavi realized they had no idea who he was—they must have thought he was some creep coming on to him.

Lavi cleared the tension with a carefree wave of his hand. He made a quick peek in Tyki’s direction before addressing his friends. “This is my uncle, the one who returned last month.” He then introduced the others to him. “Tyki, these are my friends Allen, Kanda, and Lenalee. Come forward and say hello!”

Tyki—being the gentlemen he pretended to be—didn’t let him down.

He flashed one of his five-star smiles and reached over Lavi’s seat, offering a hand to the nearest of his friends, Lenalee. “My lady, it’s pleasure to meet you.” He had switched into a more polite and charming tone, and Lavi watched how Lena blinked as if a barrel of glitter had exploded into her face. She made a quick peek into his direction before brightening up and taking Tyki’s hand, shaking it eagerly. As soon Tyki was done exchanging compliments with her, he moved to greet Allen who also returned the gesture; however, Lavi noted that his friend’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

But Kanda…

Kanda refused to touch or even look at Tyki. Like rotten meat, his hand hung between them for almost a minute, and the situation become more and more awkward. Tyki had to give up eventually. He straightened up, swept his hands by the sides of his coat, and cleared up his throat.

“Well, it was nice to meet you all. My date’s waiting, so I leave you youngsters to it. Play nice.” He gave Lavi’s shoulder another, gentler squeeze. “I supposed I’ll see you this evening?”

Lavi nodded. They exchanged smiles, and Tyki returned to the entrance of the café. Someone was waiting for him there, and Lavi recognized the person as the female colleague who he had been introduced some time ago. Twi, was it? _Wasn’t she… married?_ He stared at them for a moment before shrugging and turning back to his friends, but to his confusion, he was welcomed by a replica of Mount Rushmore National Memorial; a row of silent faces watched him, eyes hard and lacking their previous warmth. Hit by a coldness of a blizzard, Lavi tensed up. “…guys?”

Lenalee was fumbling with one of her pigtails. It was too short to settle on her shoulder, but she kept trying to adjust it anyway to avoid Lavi’s eyes. Kanda’s scowl hadn’t softened in the slightest, and his paper mug crackled in his hand as he tapped it against the table, spilling the remaining contents; even the typically dapper Allen wasn’t throwing a fit over the drops flown into his shirt. He was too focused on inspecting Lavi with his silver irises, which looked like an interrogation room’s glass placed between him and the rest.

Kanda was the one who ended up crushing the silence by smashing his abused mug into the table. His long hair flew in the air when he leaned forward and shouted, “What the hell was that?!” Lavi must have looked like a confused hamster stuck in its cage because his eyes sharpened into small knives. “Your fucking uncle! Why are you being all buddy-buddy with that asshole?”

Only then did Lavi start connecting the dots. He sat there, observed by three pairs of eyes, and his mouth flapped through a series of utterances, finishing with a dry gust.

“Yuu! He’s not like that anymore!”

In his mind, Lavi let out a louder cry. He had shared more or less… unflattering stories about his uncle for years. His friends were well aware of his complicated past with him, and they had supported him when he had panicked over his return. It shouldn’t have surprised him that they would freak out if Tyki suddenly appeared in front of them—but Lavi had also told them how well they had been getting along, and he couldn’t help but be a bit disappointed by everyone’s reaction.

Kanda though… his bitterness Lavi could understand. He was the only one who had actually witnessed Tyki of the past.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but he has really changed from those times,” Lavi said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. Kanda was a bull with one direction brains, and when he got something into his head, changing his mind was almost impossible. Of course he wasn’t buying it.

“That bastard’s playing you!” Kanda hissed and slammed himself back into his and Allen’s seat so hard it slid backwards, pure, ingrained hatred seething from every word. The overt malice made Lavi cringe, and he instinctively clenched his hands and rested them on the table, trying to stay calm under the pressure of the jury that didn’t have any intention of hearing him out.

“Yuu, please...”

“I don’t believe this one bit! How can you be stupid enough to fall into it, _Rabbit!_ ”

Lavi inhaled through his nose and started counting to ten. It was okay. Kanda just needed to let out some steam. They could talk after he finished his outburst. Lavi could take the anger and the shouting, be the reasonable one. The adult.

But it just went on and on.

Lavi knew he shouldn’t take Kanda’s anger into himself. Shouldn’t care what he—or anyone else, for the matter—thought of his uncle. But something about the utter rejection stung. He felt like it was directed at him alone.

Lavi’s covered eye had started burning alarmingly, and Lenalee must have noticed because she grabbed his hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. She soothed him with a sympathetic smile, then flipped her head into Kanda’s direction, switching on a more authoritative persona. “Kanda. If Lavi says it’s okay, then it’s okay. He should know the best.” Sounding calm and stern like a teacher, she warned him that she wouldn’t accept back-talk; as kind as she was, upsetting her was a terrible idea, and even Kanda knew that. As soon as she was done scoffing at him, her mood did a 180-degree-change, and she returned her attention to Lavi, voice chirper and more excited than before. “Your uncle seems like a nice person! I’m happy things have worked out between you two!” It might not have hundred percent sincere, but the fact that she was trying was enough. Lavi felt the boulder on his chest budge slightly.

One of them had yet to state their opinion.

Allen had remained silent during the most of the scene. “He does seem like a nice guy,” he finally said, tapping a finger against the table while inspecting his friends’ expressions. “But Kanda might have a point.”

Lavi had speculated this much. He lifted his head and locked eyes with his unreadable friend. Allen didn’t yell, belittle, or hammer you with insults; disagreeing with him wasn’t as scary with the others, but his words held different kind of power. He knew exactly what to say to get his opinions through and make them sound reasonable. _Right._ “I don’t know him personally, but from your stories…”

Lavi had been afraid of Allen’s cross-examination. Despite his young age and unpredictable nature, Allen was his go-to man in many situations, and they shared a peculiar connection that he couldn’t quite explain; Lavi wasn’t sure if he could do it justice even if he wrote a book about it. Their personalities conflicted like night and day, but on a deeper level they understood each other as if they had been friends since the beginning of time. The best—and the scariest—part of Allen was that what he said would be based on solely what he knew about Lavi and how he thought Lavi thought about things. _And a lot he knew._

“…his treatment of you isn’t something you can just brush off. He might have apologized, but does he really understand the gravity of his actions?” Allen made sure Lavi was listening before hardening his gaze. “Can you be sure that the past won’t repeat itself?”

_Can I?_ Lavi thought. The question echoed in his mind like a haunting melody.

“If you can’t, I don’t think you should call him a changed man just yet.”

Lavi wanted to tell Allen and everyone else that yes—yes, he was sure! He was sure that Tyki wasn’t acting and wouldn’t go back the way he had been! The mere thought was stupid and ridiculous. They had finally become the uncle and the nephew they were supposed to be! Tyki was nice, and easy-going, and…

Lavi wasn’t sure how to describe it. The feeling he got, sometimes, when he was around Tyki. Tyki didn’t hate him—that much was as sure as sun setting and rising every day. But did he like him? Sometimes Lavi felt like they were in a restaurant, and his uncle ordered a new dish. He would get attached to it and praise its ingredients, texture, and taste, and order it again, and again, and again…

Until he got bored of it. Or found a part he didn’t like.

Lavi tried to refrain from thinking of the instances when he had felt uncomfortable in Tyki’s company. Even if things were better than in the past, there were times he felt like a piece that didn’t fit into the puzzle his uncle was trying to build. It wasn’t just Tyki either because sometimes Lavi himself seemed to take a step backwards as if an automatic system took a control of him, and no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t figure out why it happened.

Or, at least, with an answer he would have liked.

A perfect example had occurred only a few days ago, following that dreadful kitchen massacre.

 

\----------------------

 

Lavi’s head was buzzing. He was in his room, staring out of his window, eyes stuck on a top of a huge maple tree. It grew so close its branches scratched the building’s walls, sounding like some supernatural creature trying to climb up, and the few murky leaves still hanging on it rustled like a swarm of bats. Even at this age, Lavi sometimes woke up at night, scared shitless by the ruckus it caused. But not today—today the creepy tree was merely a distraction.

Lavi’s desk was a construction site. At least three new books lied on it, all bookmarked after two to fifteen pages. Notes were everywhere. His laptop was on, sitting atop a pile of half-finished school work, browser stuck on a news site, and his phone repeated the Scorpions’ newest album. One third of an unfinished 1000-piece jigsaw peeked from below a recently folded paper pumpkin, another third lost in the labyrinth on his floor. Lavi’s tongue flipped in and out of his mouth. Shifting his weight from one buttock to another, he let out a series of frustrated huffs. Nothing worked. His body was tense and fidgety, trying to grab into anything in arm’s reach.

Fucking Road. Fuck her and the mess she had made. It had taken Lavi three hours to clean up the kitchen.

His back was sore, and his arms ached. Everywhere was itching; despite the bath he had taken, Lavi was sure he still had some chocolate left in his hair. But what irritated him the most was that his mind kept returning to those messy tiles and cupboards. He had got stuck in cleaning mode, feeling constant urge to move his hands and legs, rush around, and do something. It was _impossible_ to focus on anything and hop off the carousel in his head.

Lavi took a deep breath and forced his eye shut. He leaned backwards and relaxed into his spinning chair, willing his limbs to stay still. He wanted to use the rest of the day for something productive, but what?

It was then his foot bumped against something hard. A dusty cardboard box filled with notebooks of all sizes and colours laid below his desk, too heavy to be moved with one pair of arms and legs. Lavi eyed it intently. His fingers started wiggling in waves, and his hands fumbled towards it as if they had become magnetic. He pulled out the closest black-covered notebook and flipped it open on his lap, sparing no longer than a second on the page presented to him before turning on the next one. Then the next, and the next, and the next. He paused when he came across blank page. The sides of the evenly-cut papers melted against his fingers, their texture rough and demanding. Pulsing. It was a signal—an invitation.

A pile of items fell to the floor when Lavi made room on his desk. Finding the right kind of pen proved more challenging, and he had to dig through several drawers before he came across it. Totally worth it. Lavi’s lips perked up, and he stopped fretting over his paddling feet and bouncy shoulders.

His hand turned into a cat toy; it danced over the clean white paper, pushing and dragging the pen into different angles and positions. The pen’s tip burned black lines wherever it touched, leaving behind strokes and curves, circles and beaks. A cloud. A plastic bag. A rooster and a hen. A cupcake and a ribbon.

A cat was born. A house was built. The cover of the _Children of Hurin_ was replicated into the pages of sketchbook.

Lavi worked like a machine. His pen screeched against the paper, turning a page after page into his brain’s extension. He loved it—vomiting out everything that popped into his mind, putting them into images and words, letting the lead fly. At this point it didn’t really matter how the scribbles looked, getting them on the paper was more important. He just needed to fill something.

After tens of minutes of intensive drawing, Lavi’s hands finally slowed down. His movements became more careful and calculating. His eye started guiding the process, and he started adding shadows and textures into his drawings, taking his time to build up more and more detailed and in-debt illusions. The lines he had drawn came alive, becoming something more than lead on the paper.

Lavi couldn’t tell if he was grinning like a maniac or pursing his lips in focus. Thanks to Tiedoll’s pushiness in his childhood, he had taken a liking to drawing at an early age, and while he wasn’t Da Vinci, at least he didn’t suck too much. Drawing was a perfect combination of puzzle solving and learning; Lavi might have not been a particularly creative-minded, but he liked being able to take his subjects apart and study them without actually breaking them.

Lavi was so absorbed in his task that he didn’t notice his door cracking. Something moved out of the corner of his eye, and had his brains not been stuck in hyperfocus, it would have startled him and made him fall over with his chair. Instead, he just squinted and turned his head reluctantly, slamming his sketchbook shut.

His uncle seemed to believe that his room was some common parlour because he ended up there on daily basis.

Lavi wouldn’t have minded company or attention. Or even that large mushroom on his bed, which was his uncle cocooning himself in his blankets, all three of them. Or that pile of books that had been on his bed a moment ago, now scattered on the floor like flock of dead birds… urgh.

Did Tyki purposefully come into his room to _pig_?

Lavi didn’t bother greeting the familiar seaweed head when it hatched from the fabrics. Clenching his teeth, he pushed his sketchbook below the conveniently placed paper pumpkin, which seemed to smirk at him, amused by his struggles. Lavi gave the assholic object his meanest glare. _You couldn’t focus either if a human-sized egg was crying next to you!_

“Laviii, Laviii, _Laaaviiiiii_!”

Tyki’s extravagant presence was anything but silent. When he was done playing a hungry chick, he started hunting Lavi’s books, making silly comments about their titles before littering the place with them. Lavi’s bedsheets had turned into poorly-made scrambled eggs, and his shirts and socks flew through the air, inspected and rated by his uncle. Tyki even took his phone. “I hate this band! It reminds me of my ex,” he said before changing the music to Katy Perry, adding to Lavi’s misery.

His room might have been a mess by default, but at least it had been _his_ mess—he didn’t need help making it worse!

In a way, Lavi got it; his uncle was trying to spend more time with him, and he didn’t want to shoo him away either. But he didn’t understand why Tyki had to glue himself to his life like a gum to a shoe, and why he preferred loitering in his room, doing nothing instead of hanging out with his friends and dates.

The clock on Lavi’s desk showed 7:40. His fingers stomped against the wooden surface, and he sneaked a longing glimpse in the pumpkin’s direction. To his surprise, the sketchbook wasn’t there.

Lavi’s eye bat in disbelief. He could have sworn…

Fixing his position, he glanced around his working area. A fitting black cover hadn’t appeared on one of his paper piles, and the surroundings of the pumpkin remained deserted. The sketchbook wasn’t on the floor or in its box either. Lavi even spread his legs to make sure it hadn’t fallen on his lap.

Then, as if it was the only noise in the room, he heard the rustling of papers.

Lavi’s neck creaked from the aggression he snapped it with. Behind him, he saw a fan of pages flutter like windmill wings, falling over the spiral spine. Large hands were flipping through them, their owner humming curiously while inspecting the drawings.

Lavi’s heart stopped for a moment. Before he realized what was happening, he had already gotten on his legs. “Tyki, stop! Give it back!” He leaped in his uncle’s direction and tried to snatch the sketchbook from his hands, but Tyki spun around and bounced away from his reach.

“Nope! I want have a better look at this!” Tyki said with a chuckle. Pleased of the attention he was finally getting, he trapped the sketchbook in-between his arms and cradled it teasingly, swinging his hips like an excited dog. “You’re a teenager, aren’t you? There must some busty babes hidden in here.” His eyes changed then, glimmering as if they had turned into fireflies, and his grin stretched from one side to another. “You wouldn’t have happened to draw me? Is that what this is? Oh, you _naughty_ boy! You could have just asked!”

Lavi didn’t know what came over him. There was a sudden nausea, a crackling in his head, sweaty palms. His body worked on its own. It kicked off the ground and darted through the air like an arrow before hitting Tyki, sending both of them flying over the room. They smashed into something hard, which was Lavi’s bed, thank God.

When Lavi came to his senses, he found himself on top of his uncle. His legs were on each of his sides, and his hand was squeezing his shoulder, pinning it down. The sketchbook had returned into his possession. He was pressing it against his chest, feeling how its cover vibrated with ominous thudding, like a gong or a countdown.

Lavi swallowed hard. His tongue was on fire, feeling wrong against the dry walls around it. He slowly removed his hand from Tyki and crossed it over the other one, burying the sketchbook deeper into his shirt. The blanket between his knees and the mattress wobbled like pudding, and he fell into a sitting position on Tyki’s stomach.

“Ha!” The exclaim burst from Lavi’s lips like a bullet, as dry as the mouth spitting it. “Ha, ha, ha.” It was neither a laugh nor a shout but the air building up in him forcing its way out. After a series of few more “has,” he started coughing and gradually fell into a hysteric, wheezing snicker.

“I can… I can use dirty tricks too!” That was the only thing that came into Lavi’s mind before the clogs started working again.

Poor Tyki. He was lying there like a flounder, a realistic version of _Munch’s Scream_. His eyes were both big and small, like popped-out buttons, and his oval-shaped mouth had slid off its place. His fingers were stuck up in that position he had held the sketchbook in before it had been ripped from his grasp.

Lavi felt slightly bad. He hadn’t meant to attack his uncle. Had the landing not been so soft, he could have seriously hurt him. But the sketchbook in his arms hugged him back, and he felt more relieved than apologetic.

_Justified._

Lavi shifted his position and tried to get up, only to find that his legs didn’t obey. Tyki’s hands had returned to life. They remained as stiff as wooden trunks, but they had rooted themselves into Lavi’s shins, holding them down and preventing them from moving. Lavi watched them, then Tyki’s face; his uncle just continued staring into nothing, and he was starting to get worried. “Um, Tyki? Are you okay?”

He hadn’t hit his head into anything, had he?

Tyki gasped like a man that had been revived. His hands sprung up, shaking in the air for a moment before falling back to the mattress, as far from Lavi’s legs as possible. He pushed his weight on his elbows and lifted his head up, a mixture of confusion and something hazy swimming in his eyes as he raked Lavi’s body up and down. His lips trembled, but he managed to nod.

Lavi shifted away and offered Tyki a hand, helping him up. They were now sitting at the different ends of the bed, the distance between them thick and awkward. Lavi knew that he should apologize, but Tyki got his mouth working before him and beat him to it; he shouldn’t have taken his sketchbook without asking, and he was sorry about it.

It was okay. They were cool again.

So why did Lavi continue feeling like shit when he returned the sketchbook to Tyki voluntarily? Why did his throat feel like something was crawling up it or his stomach as if it was used as a skipping rope? Tyki was treating his hands’ work with care and complimenting it, saying nothing but positive things about its contents, yet Lavi still fought an urge to snatch it back.

_“These are pretty damn good. So many rabbits. You must really like them.”_

Lavi couldn’t hear him. He sat on his side of the bed like a rock, arms clenched around his knees and a plastic smile ghosting over his face. He nodded and hummed like an empty husk. He unconsciously reached for a small rabbit doll and tucked it below his chin, nuzzling into it and breathing its scent as the siren in his head kept screaming.

Not once did he remove his eye from the sketchbook. Tyki’s fingers could have been wires or tentacles for all he cared.

 

\---------------------------

 

“Allen, there’s no way things can go back like they used to be. Not anymore.”

Lavi wanted to believe it, but he wasn’t nearly as convinced as he tried to sound.

The Starbucks had quieted down to an unnatural degree. The stream of people lining to the front counter had run out, and the corridors in-between the tables had become deserted. You could hear a napkin falling to the floor. The whole place seemed intent on listening in on Lavi’s cross-examination, offering him no support or distraction. He would have given anything for an excuse to escape to a bathroom.

Allen’s expression didn’t falter on the other side of the table. He had crossed his gloved hands on it, fumbling with his thumbs like some big shot who tried to decide whether to cut Lavi’s salary or fire him. He was putting on a sympathetic face, but Lavi was scared—scared that he could see right through him and drag out a truth he wasn’t aware of.

“You don’t know that, Lavi.”

Lavi did. He hoped he did. No, he just hoped he wasn’t wrong. Or mistaken. Or hoping too much.

Lavi wanted to pour a fresh cup of coffee into his ears. Block out the doubtful whispers and listen to his own mind and convictions on repeat. But once the virus had gotten into the system, it was impossible to get rid of; Lavi had to face that fact that might not be as comfortable with Tyki as he wanted to.

“Al…” Lavi called out with a weak voice. “I already forgave him.”

He felt a need to rub at his bad eye again. The eyepatch shielding it was loose and useless, not doing its job. “Don’t you think it surprised me too? How he suddenly treated me like another human, even apologized? I didn’t expect it. Didn’t expect him to be such a…”

“Snake,” Kanda interrupted with a hiss.

Despite Lenalee’s quick “Kanda, please!” Kanda continued his protest by rolling his eyes and flipping his head towards the wall. He had crossed his arms over his chest, and Lavi felt the floor below their feet tremble as he beat his frustration into it.

“Dumb Rabbit. Walking right into the wolf’s mouth,” Kanda muttered between his clenched teeth. “People don’t just change like that.”

Lavi knew that. He knew.

It was best to give in and drop the subject. There was nothing any of them could do about it now. Lavi felt like a peeled orange that had been left to dry in a sun, too drained to argue back. He didn’t want to make himself anymore more miserable by starting a fight.

“It’s not that we don’t understand,” Allen said when they started making their leave.

“We just don’t want you to get hurt,” Lenalee added and hugged them all goodbye.

Kanda locked eyes with Lavi. He looked like he wanted to say something but ended up grunting and walking past him, bumping his shoulder against his before disappearing into the dark subway tunnel. Lavi stood in front of the quiet Starbucks for almost five minutes before shaking his head and slapping his cheeks. He rushed to the opposite direction, heading for the bus stop on the street above; the ride home was going to take 45 minutes, and he hoped he would be able to clear his head during it. He should have known better.

The seat Lavi had picked had to be the worst one he had ever sat on. It shook like a balancing board, boiling the gastric acid inside his stomach and spilling it over the edges. The shorter the distance between his lift and home got, the worse the ill feeling grew. At evening, he would have to reunite with his uncle—and based on the storm inside him, it wasn’t going to go well.

Lavi didn’t understand. Tyki had done _absolutely nothing_ , yet here he was, all fired up and ready to have another episode. It was unfair, for both of them.

Stupid Allen. Stupid Kanda. But no matter how much Lavi dissed his friends, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that they could be right.

_There was nothing stopping Tyki from turning on him again._

The Kamelot mansion was dark and oozed of emptiness. The lamp hanging from the foyer’s ceiling lit when it sensed Lavi’s moments, the lights in the living room following suit. They were eerie—like will-o’-the-wisps inviting him in and tempting him further. _“Come, Lavi, come! There’s no one home!”_ The way they shut down when Lavi passed them, one after another, made him feel as if the road behind him was slowly disappearing.

His father must have still been in a meeting at the Government Palace. He had no idea where Road was, but if she wasn’t home, she probably wouldn’t show up until much later. Lavi’s blood ran cold—he had hoped that someone would be there besides him and his uncle.

Following hours passed way too slow and way too fast. Lavi spent most of the time in some kind of trance, fortified into his room; being surrounded by the familiar book walls made him feel somehow secure. He tried to work on the tasks he had planned for the evening but kept spacing out, hoping the world would freeze if he did. When someone finally banged on his door, the little sanctuary he had managed to build crumbled like a sandcastle.

“You awake, Lavi?”

It was Tyki.

Lavi rose from his chair with heavy, mechanical movements. “A moment,” he stuttered. His legs felt as sturdy as two sticks made of iron wire, and he had to fight to keep himself standing. The distance between him and the door closed morbidly fast despite the small, careful steps he took, and the lock on it looked like a mouse trap ready to snap his fingers in two. When Lavi finally managed to muster enough strength to open it, he was greeted by that familiar grin as perfect and stretched as a salaryman’s. He couldn’t tell whether he knew it from last week or from six years ago.

“Ah, there you are!” Almost slamming his arm into Lavi, Tyki strode into the room as if he owned it. “Man, I’m pooped! Took care of some shit and dropped by the pub. Momo and Clark were complaining about some kid they’ve been losing lately. Haha! They’re so useless without me!” His voice dragged, sounding a bit too chipper to be sober. He headed straight to Lavi’s bed and threw himself on it, flinging his suitcase into the air, from which it crushed somewhere into the room with a gun-like bang. Tyki continued rambling and laughing at his own jokes, and Lavi... Lavi tried to listen.

He hadn’t moved from the door yet. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to. Was there a place or a corner he could go to? He had turned around enough so that he could hold an eye-contact with his uncle, and even that was stressing his fried nerves.

Tyki was kicking his long legs in the air and stretching them, showing off his white socks. They bent and snapped into their positions like swan heads, striking down, attacking Lavi’s pillow. His arms shifted on his sheets, pushing them aside, ironing them, sinking into them. His torso grew in size as he rolled onto his side, and for a moment, he looked inhumanely big, like a lion or a titan. Lavi was sure his head would hit the ceiling if he suddenly got up.

Tyki could stomp through Lavi’s floor with his huge legs. Or flip his desk over with his huge arms. Or send his laptop flying through the window with a flick of his strong fingers.

_Please… please don’t get up_ , Lavi cried in his head. He didn’t want to be here. Not now. Not with his uncle.

Lavi wasn’t sure what happened next. He either blacked out or locked himself into some silent corner of his heart. It might have been some desperate attempt to eject himself from the situation or a result of mixed-up signals flashing through his system. One moment he was there, next he wasn’t. Whatever the reason, he didn’t see Tyki moving closer.

His uncle wasn’t on his bed anymore—he was at an arm’s length from him. Lavi would have screamed had something not appeared on his arms.

It was a black paper bag with a golden inscription glittering on its side. Lavi didn’t recognize the fancy letters or the name of the shop.

His brains did a somersault. Lavi’s gaze moved to Tyki, then back to the bag; then back to Tyki and back to the bag again. He tilted and shook it as if it was an alien object, wobbling backwards with his equally confused legs. “What’s this?” he asked.

Tyki replied with a sunny grin. “Passed this shop and saw something I thought you’d like. Go ahead, you can open it.”

Lavi hesitated for a moment before bringing the bag closer. He spread its mouth and peeked in before inserting a shaky hand inside. Out came something flat and sturdy. The bookworm in Lavi would have recognized the shape anywhere; it might have been wrapped in yellow, rabbit and carrot illustrated paper, but it was obviously a book. And a present.

“Oh no, you shouldn’t have…”

Not letting Lavi finish, Tyki clicked his tongue and waved off his concern. “Nah, I wanted to. Just open it. I wanna know if it’s something you have use for.” He looked at him expectantly, face beaming and lips curved into a big banana smile, and Lavi felt as if he couldn’t refuse.

Holding his breath, Lavi started unwrapping the decorative paper. The thought of just ripping rip it off horrified him, and the slow process gave his mind time to recover. For some bizarre reason, his uncle had gotten him _a gift_. Christmas wouldn’t be there for almost two months, and his birthday had passed just before Tyki’s return. Lavi didn’t understand. Pulling aside the last layer of the wrapping, he was finally able to view the book’s cover. To his surprise, it was empty. And black. And…

No. He knew what it was.

“Y-you,” Lavi stuttered, words lost somewhere in the depths of his malfunctioning throat. His fingers smoothed over the leathery surface of the fancy, brand new sketchbook, which felt heavy and powerful in his hands. It was thick and sturdy, and the papers inside it were of high-quality. It wasn’t something you could get just anywhere. Or by a coincidence.

The maple tree behind the window shook as a pair of squirrels started playing on it, their chipper squeaking filling the air. The lamp on Lavi’s ceiling hummed and shone few degrees brighter; the November night was as dark as charred chicken, but summer had arrived into his room. A warm wave hit against Lavi’s chest and caressed it as the heat ran down to his body, pooling into the tips of his toes and fingers, bringing them back to life. His cheeks were hard and tingly, as if they had been kissed by the sun.

_“I thought you’d like it.”_ Tyki’s words echoed in his head.

The lock on Lavi’s cage creaked and clicked open. His arms sprung past his ears and flew into the air as he caught his uncle into a hearty hug. The sides of his mouth stretched and stretched, threatening to rip his face open, and it was impossible to stay still because he felt like he was about to burst. “Wrapping paper and all? Seriously?” Lavi laughed, glowing like a small child.

Tyki’s handsome grin leaned closer, and he laid a hand on Lavi’s shoulder. “It had bunnies, so why the hell not? They seem to be everywhere around you.” He poked Lavi’s nose and stomach, making Lavi giggle and shake his head; out of all things, did he have to wear Yoshi the Rabbit shirt today?

“You even look like one when you make that face,” Tyki added. “Is that why Sheril calls you Bunny all the time?”

Lavi shrugged; he wasn’t sure what exactly had started the rabbit mania. The first one to call him that had undoubtedly been Kanda, but at the age of five, Road had insisted he was a bunny when they had been playing animals at a sandbox, and during the Easter, she had followed him around with a basket, expecting him to lay eggs. Their father had adopted the nickname immediately, and ever since then, Lavi had been his “Bunny.” Lavi couldn’t decide whether he found it amusing or embarrassing; being showered with rabbit themed items year after year had made the creatures grow to him. At least they were cute.

“I see,” Tyki said before letting out a low hum. Lavi recognized the mischievous tone in it, and he knew that his uncle was humouring himself with something unsuitable for kids. “So, if you’re a bunny…”

Lavi narrowed his visible eye.

“Does it mean you like carrots? Because I happen to have one in my—"

_Should have known._ Lavi sighed and bopped Tyki with the back of the sketchbook. “You’ve been saving that up, haven’t you?” he said with an accusing voice but couldn’t stop a smile climbing back onto his face. His uncle was ridiculous. Lavi didn’t know how someone could act like a perfect gentleman, only to revert into a child the next minute. Tyki was becoming more and more childish by each passing day. Lavi wouldn’t have been surprised if he turned out to be some supernatural creature, an incubus or a fairy. Werewolf would have suited him too.

They continued chatting way past their bedtime. When Tyki eventually left, Lavi found himself staring at his door almost wistfully. The new sketchbook was resting on his arms, and when he looked down at it, a part of him melted. He pressed the gift closer and nuzzled it, rubbing his glowing nose over its top.

_“Thank you.”_

 

\---------------------------------

 

The insides of Tyki’s mouth flapped like fabric in a wind, blown aside by the frustrated yawn bursting out of him. Trying not to stumble in his steps, he marched through a large, officially decorated room, and a chant of curses slipped past his lips. “Where the fuck did he put those car keys?” Tyki muttered, eyeing Sheril’s den and desk as the grandfather clock ticked hauntingly. It was unlike his brother to leave his work space in such unruly condition, but of course he had to make an exception at a time like this.

Tyki could have done without an early treasure hunt—he didn’t have much time, and he hadn’t exactly slept like a princess. While a bar night before a morning shift might not have been the greatest idea, he hadn’t expected Sheril to raid the key rack. Who on Earth was so paranoid they had to hide everyday items to the other side of the mansion? Tyki was dying to grab the cigarettes weighting his pocket and fill the air with a smoky protest.

As he reached Sheril’s unorganized work desk, Tyki accidentally knocked off a stack of papers. He was able to steady them before they scattered to the floor, but then his leg hit against the side of the furniture, followed by a blunt clang from the other side. The irritated scowl on Tyki’s face transformed into a fearful grimace. He stretched his arm and felt around the area until he found the fallen object, which was surprisingly heavy, but he managed to lift it up and turn it around. It was… some kind of strange figure made of copper. Tyki couldn’t tell whether it represented a cloud or a fertile woman, or if it was even damaged. “To Minister Kamelot, with thanks and appreciation…” Phew. Just a bribe from some kiss-ass.

Tyki had to calm down if he wanted to find those keys. If he broke something Sheril actually treasured, he would be in for a fate worse than a pig to be slaughtered.

Tyki shivered and checked his surroundings instinctively. He had never liked Sheril’s office. It was dark and cold, surrounded by heavy, bark-like walls, and stoic furniture made for giants inhabited it. Sheril’s desk was like a judge’s table; three arm chairs arranged into a perfect curve opposed it, the one in the middle reserved for the visitor in the most trouble. The four long cathedral windows painted the room with crimson stripes during sunrises and sunsets, making it look like a gateway to hell, and in the dark they turned into tv-screens, reminding Tyki of a security room that recorded and saw everything. In his younger years, he had only been called here when he had done something Sheril highly disapproved of. The globe-shaped wine bar was classy, but even Tyki—as used to the sight of blood as he was—felt ill when Sheril opened it. A glass of red wine in his brother’s ruthless hands would have given anyone chills.

The office was the HG of Sheril’s world—he made its rules and abused them to their fullest. Tyki couldn’t think of a good memory related to it.

There were photographs too, of course. Tens if not hundreds, all framed and arrayed onto the other wall, next to a set of children’s drawings. Road, Tyki, Lavi, and their numerous relatives. Sheril’s wedding, Road’s first birthday, Lavi’s high school graduation. Tyki before leaving for Italy.

Tyki ripped his gaze away, directing it back to Sheril’s desk. He had to find those keys before he lost his damn mind.

He started looking from the drawers. This wasn’t the first time he had to rummage through them, so he knew which ones to inspect more properly. Sheril tended to keep the personal items in one place, and if Tyki had to guess, the car keys would be there as well. On the third pull he came face to face with a dark-haired baby; she was glaring at him like a possessed kid in a horror movie, but the pale pink background softened it. Tyki laughed in triumph—Road’s baby book was as close to Sheril’s heart as anything! He slid it aside and started hunting the trinkets roaming the bottom, which was a collection wrist watches, rings, birthday cards, and keys. What Tyki needed was a keychain with Buick’s logo—and he saw it.

It was slippier than he had thought. Just as Tyki had gotten his fingers around the keyring, it yanked itself off and crawled back into the drawer. Tyki tried picking it up again, but it squirmed in his hold like a small lizard before escaping below larger items. Tyki let out a frustrated whistle. He started removing more and more items to get to the pesky key, swearing he would nail it to the wall so that Sheril couldn’t pull this shit on him again. Just as he thought that he had cleared out enough obstacles, something fell from the pile he was currently lifting and landed on top of his target.

A wrinkled piece of paper.

Without thinking, Tyki picked it up and turned it around. Another drawing. Sheril’s figure looked like a bear, arms stretched and ready for a hug. Road was a small and spiky hedgehog, and the explosion of red next to her could be no other than Lavi. Tyki himself stood beside his nephew, holding his hand just as he held Road’s. They were portrayed on a sunny grass field in the way children drew their families, all happy and cheerful. The drawing made Tyki smile—then frown. Why wasn’t it on the wall with the others? Despite its messiness, it was just as good if not better.

“Dear God. What are you doing here at this hour?”

Guardian of the Hell had appeared. Tyki was about to roll his eyes and bark at Sheril for taking the keys for the run, but the words got stuck into his mouth. His brother looked tired—really tired. He was sporting a lavender morning gown and a pair of hideous velvet slippers, but without a wash and cosmetics, he was barely recognizable. Two blood-shot eyes stared into the room. Sheril’s long hair hung from his head like a clog in a shower drain, lacking its usual shine and form, and Tyki swore he saw some grey strands in it. His skin was pale and waxy, and the joints of his fingers bulged when he crooked them around the door frame, trying to support the combined weight of his drained body and a large file barely fitting below his arm.

“Sorry,” Tyki said with a softer tone. “I was looking for the Buick’s keys.” He jiggled them in the air for Sheril to see, and a slow understanding brushed over his brother’s face. Sheril staggered into the office and made his way to the nearest arm chair, dropping the papery boulder on his desk before hooking a hand under his chin and letting his eyelids roll down. Tyki watched as his chest rose in the rhythm of his heavy breaths, looking as if he was struggling to keep his very soul from escaping. He was afraid to take his eyes off him.

After calming down his breath, Sheril straightened himself and leaned over the desk to pick up a pen. “I really need to get back to filling these. Could you please get me a… what’s that?” He was looking at Tyki’s hands with a turtle-like expression, and it took Tyki a moment to realize that he was still holding that old drawing.

Tyki shrugged and flipped it around. “I was just wondering why this wasn’t on the wall with the others.”

Sheril pursed his lips into a thoughtful, wrinkled line, and his eyes shrunk into small black ants. Then they suddenly paled and widened. It looked like some kind of coating had formed over them, and Tyki blinked, unsure if it was just his imagination. Was he mad at him for digging through his stuff?

But Sheril shook his head dismissively. He got up and approached Tyki, reaching for the drawing with the tips of his fingers and tugging at it gently. It was a silent request to let go.

“You don’t remember?” Sheril asked quietly. His voice was barely a whisper.

Tyki tried his best to dig through his memory, but all these drawings looked same to him. He remembered complimenting his niece sometimes, and that was about it.

“Then it’s nothing, Tyki dear. Nothing.” A heavy sigh fell from Sheril’s lips. He took the drawing and held it over his desk before putting it back into the drawer, burying it below the items Tyki had pulled out. The way he closed it felt oddly final as his hands stayed on the front board, pushing against it even without need. “Drive safely,” he said without lifting his gaze. Had Tyki been any sleepier, he might have thought they were in someone’s funeral.

Tyki was baffled as hell. But he didn’t want to start asking questions when his brother looked so unnaturally off. With nothing but a nod, he excited the office. Sheril’s strange behaviour continued haunting him all the way to the hospital, and it was only there he dared to breathe again.

He had other things to focus on.

Morning shifts kicked off with either a World War or a slumber party. Today seemed to be one of the latter ones. Most of the staff would be arriving in an hour or two, and the night-shifters were finally allowed to go home. There weren’t raging emergencies to take care of, and the few employees starting their long day took their time dressing up and checking the places. It was a dark, hidden hour in-between night and morning. Tyki loved it.

Doctor rounds wouldn’t start until few hours so Tyki found himself wandering the deserted hallways aimlessly, the snoring of the warded patients his only company. The dimmed ceiling lights poured down onto the door frames, seats, and glass-like floor panels, turning everything that pointed upwards white, downwards black. In between each luminary was a pitch-black shadow ring that split the hallway into smaller sections; they seemed to suck you in, and walking through them was like dashing through a subway in a metro train. It felt surreal, something you could only experience in a dream.

Led by his brains signalling it was time for coffee, Tyki entered the children’s section. To his surprise, it wasn’t all dark and peaceful as he had expected because a stripe of light was peeking below one of the doors. Tyki checked his wrist watch, confirming it was indeed quarter past five. One of the rascals was already up—and he knew which one it was.

An amused grin spun on Tyki’s face. Without knocking, he cracked the door and slid his head inside. “You won’t grow all tall and handsome if you continue staying up at strange hours,” he shouted, holding his laughter when the room’s sole resident bounced on their spot. Pair of chubby cheeks turned to him, flushing behind a surgical mask covering most of a tiny boy’s face, and eyes as heavy and empty as skull sockets drilled into him before litting up. The kid was kneeling on the floor, his mask waggling like an unfitting diaper, muffing out the hoots he gacked out.

“Tyki! I couldn’t sleep so I’m drawing!” As evidence, the boy spread the papers around him into a bigger mess, knocking his crayons around. Tyki knew he would be the one to pick them up, but he couldn’t get angry, crossing his arms over his chest instead.

“Is that so? I wonder why, mister Eeze.” Entering the room, Tyki collected most of the crayons before tucking his hand into Eeze’s hair, petting him as he proceeded to gather his hands’ work into a neat pile. He then sneaked his arms around him, lifted him up with a “hop,” and moved him to the bed before rooting his own backside next to him. “Now, we don’t want to spend all your energy before the day has even started, don’t we? You lucky man are going home for a week.”

Eeze huffed, and even with most of his face covered, Tyki could see that his eyes tried to smile. He then moved his gaze to his lap, and his feet started fidgeting, kneading against the blanket. He seemed to shrink like a drying raisin, and he probably didn’t notice how his body was slowly inching towards the warmth radiating from Tyki. “It’s not a home. It’s an orphanage,” Eeze finally said, and Tyki threw an arm around him and coaxed him closer.

“Yeah, I know.” He wished it wasn’t like that. “But you’ll be able to see your friends again. There might be new ones too.”

Eeze still didn’t look convinced, and Tyki decided to take out the big guns. He snuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out something shiny, waving it in the air to catch some light into it. Its shadow sneaked below Eeze’s guarded gaze, and the fluffy head in Tyki’s armpit shifted, tilting upwards. As soon as Eeze saw what Tyki was doing, the darkness veiling him poofed away. “I was going to give this to you after your check, but since you’re already awake…” Eeze’s hands were already open and shaking when Tyki placed the golden button on them. Sheril would miss it, but he could afford a replacement.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Even if Eeze’s eyes glittered like new-born stars, his voice still came out raspy and weak. Tyki didn’t quite understand his love for buttons, but he helped him to nurture his little collection, which he kept in a small casket he carried around. It was currently decorating the bedside table with his favourite book, _Coraline_ , and Tyki helped to move it into his lap.

“You’ll be back here soon enough,” Tyki said soothingly. “We’ll see each other again the next week.”

While Eeze’s condition was currently stable, he wasn’t a healthy kid. Eeze had one of the few childhood cases of _asbestosis_ , a disease that usually developed over a long period of time for people who had been exposed to asbestos fibers. It was known as builders’ illness, but people who lived or worked in old asbestos buildings were in the danger of developing it too. Symptoms took decades manifest, but for some reason they showed up in few rare children, usually when it was already too late.

However, Eeze’s case wasn’t hopeless. By some miracle his disease had been discovered before it had turned into a lung cancer, and they were able to hold back and relieve its symptoms. It couldn’t be cured, but despite his limitations, Eeze could live a long, fulfilling life.

Eeze himself remained surprisingly positive. He took his medicine dutifully, never complained about the treatments, and never caused ruckus or headache for doctors and nurses unlike so many kids. However, he did have a habit of sneaking out of his bed and playing with his crayons and buttons at night.

“Tyki,” came the terse order, “it needs a name.”

The casket was open, and its hundred buttons were waiting at their newest crew member in every colour and shape, but the golden button remained tightly in Eeze’s grasp. He showed it to Tyki and gazed at him expectantly, snuffling like a content animal that had trouble staying in its skin. It took few seconds for Tyki to understand what he wanted.

“You want me to name it? No way! I suck at names!”

Eeze huffed at him and shoved the button closer. “It needs a name! Everyone needs a name!”

Tyki held in a sigh. It was silly, but he should humour the kid. He inspected the flashy, expensive button and tried to come up with something. “It’s a button. So, eh… Mister… Butt?” Eeze’s cabbage casserole expression said more than thousand words. “Hey, I told you I sucked with names! I tried to name a Great Pyrenees ‘Great!’”

“A human name, Tyki! Human name! Like Kevin or Suman!” Eeze insisted.

Tyki glanced at the button again and spun the lucky wheel in his head, throwing out the first name that came into his mind. “Lavi?”

It was… actually a pretty good suggestion. Eeze wouldn’t have another “Lavi” in his casket, would he?

Eeze seemed thoughtful. “Lavi…” he mused, pulling the button back for inspection, then nodded. “I like it. Lavi shall it be.” The golden button joined his treasures officially, and Eeze added it into the casket before flipping the lid shut, allowing Tyki to return it to the table. Only then did he remember the pile of drawings he had spent his night manufacturing. “I wanna show you what I’ve drawn today!”

Eeze was… as talented as any child of his age.

Tyki rotated a paper with a red hurricane in the middle. It could potentially pass as a dragon since it had two sticky appendages, likely wings, and a red-yellow mess coming out of its mouth. Next drawing was a deformed spider with a human head, and the one after it surprisingly recognizable portrait of Director Levellier blowing apart. Some of the papers were cluttered with shapes and spirals, some barely had few lines. Tyki couldn’t make sense of them all, but they gave life for the bleak hospital room with their quirkiness and humorousness. After skipping through countless animals, vehicles, buildings, and Eldritch monsters, Tyki came across two figures that made him pause. “What’s this?” he asked, unable to swipe it aside.

Eeze chuckled like an excited zombie. He leaned into Tyki’s direction and put his tiny hands on his arm. “It’s us, of course! Tyki and Eeze!”

Tyki’s head wasn’t that big, and his legs weren’t stumps. But the hair was alright, and the skin tone pretty close. Eeze’s mask ate most of the sphere that was his head, and the lines surrounding his sausage-like arms tangled into Tyki’s in the middle. The closeness of the figures made Tyki’s chest heat up like an oven.

“This is very good. Those butterflies are a nice touch.” The drawing was as wonky as two drunks fallen from a cliff, but it was still adorable. Tyki hadn’t realized that Eeze thought so much of him. That this small, unfortunate child actually found _his_ presence comforting. It was touching—touching and heart-breaking. But Tyki let it get to him. Warmth spread inside him, and he rubbed his nose like an embarrassed school kid, trying not to smile so fucking much. A flash of red and green popped into his mind, and a soft laugh bubbled from deep inside.

“You know, you kinda remind me of my nephew. He likes drawing too, and he’s really, really good. This picture is like the one he—”

Tyki’s lips stopped in mid-motion and numbed. The light in the ceiling flickered and buzzed. An invisible pressure pushed against his ears and forced itself into them, ringing, screaming. Tyki wasn’t in the hospital anymore.

He was in his own room. His legs were high up on his desk, lankier and more restless than he remembered. He was leaning back on his old, wooden chair, which was hard as rock and chanted “knock knock” when its hind legs banged against the floor. Everything was grey and hazy, and rags of smoke ghosted through the air. The shitty desk lamp barely let any light into the work station, let alone in the room.

There was another knock. More sharp and polite.

_“Uncle Tyki, can I come in?”_

\------------------------------------

_He hears the door creaking. A small gasp and paddling of uneven feet, coming closer._

_What a pain. Had he given it a permission to come in? Couldn’t it take care of its business from the door?_

_He can feel its presence beside him before it even speaks. Tweets. Its voice is like a rusty barn door. It mentions his name, and that’s the only thing he bothers to listen._

_What now? What’s this?_

_It’s trying to foist something on him._

_A piece of paper. Something it gets from school and wastes his brother’s time with. Is that idiot not home?_

_What, it’s not a school work? Then what the hell is it doing here?_

_A drawing? It calls this a drawing? This scrawl? What rubbish. It can stick it back into its ass for all he cares._

_He does the only right thing and crushes it into a ball. Throws it over his shoulder and tells the little shit to fuck off._

_The look on its face is priceless. He’s almost feeling better, almost feeling proud._

_Run, rabbit, run. Stay the fuck away._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, something is happening in the minds of our heroes. What did you readers think? If there's anything you want/need to ask about, do not be afraid of doing that. You can do that here or contact us in our [Tumblr](https://sinception.tumblr.com/) page.  
> ~Una
> 
> Next time the idiots will be heading to mall.


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